thiru adhyayana uthsavam - At Newyork - A Summary (part4)

[Guest guest]

Srimadh Azhagiya Singar thiruvadikaLE charaNam

Sri RanganAyikA samEtha Sri Rangarajan thiruvadikaLE charaNam

 

Dear bAgawathAs,

 

On 23rd evening the gathering that stayed in Sri Venkat's house

was more than 40, and there were more people coming from airports

and as usual we had to really struggle veruy hard to manage our

available resources of volunteers to pick them up. adiyEn

could not find anyone to receive my son and wife from airport

despite the fact that adiyEn was the one who was arranging for

pick up from airports as a first priority for others. But adiyEn

was never worried nor made any remarks to anyone. It was until one

hour prior to landing of the plane when Sri Krishna came to know

of this and took half a day vacation from his work and picked

me up and took adiyEn to the airport. On the night of 23rd Sri

Kannan arrived from Syracuse after a wild goose chasing for

directions. He had asked for directions when adiyEn was in goshti

and adiyEn asked him to call us later after goshti. In the absence

of anyone to help, he managed to come after several hours of

calling and yet was smiling, coming forward to help and so on. Sri

Kannan was an asset to our gOshti and celebrations as he not

only brought more enthusiasm but also lot of gOshti skills from

kAnchipiram. He reminded me of Sri Varadhan of denver in many

ways. The caravan began by 7PM with volunteers of 8 vehicles.

All the perumALs except Sri Rama and Sri chakratthAzwAr left

the place. Each perumAL's vigraham used to weigh around 300 pounds.

 

Sri Ranganatha was adorned with a shAlvai to protect HIM from cold.

In Srirangam Sri namperumAL used to wear a muslin cloth when HE

arrives in 4 kAl mandapam enroute to ekAntha sEvai in the " pani

vizhum irApatthu " . Most of the deities including Sri Ranganatha and

thAyAr and others left for the hall in Sri KannabirAn's quest.

There were truck load of groceries and other related materials that

also followed. About 5 vehicles were going in a caravan all through

this 1 hour 30 minute stretch. At the arrival Smt Dr Shashi kala

iyengar was waiting all alone untill 11 pm to hand over the hall to

us and as well to receive perumAL and the gOshti. PunniyAvachanam

was performed and perumALs were placed on few temporary tables.

 

The next day the entire group of gOshti about 40 bAgawathas joined

and thiru vAy mozhi began after doing Kanninun sirutthAmbu. In the

after noon the dais was ready and the perumALs were shifted to the

center stage when the gOshti had completed the morning session and

NAMA event was about to begin. Everytime the perumALs were shifted

it involved a lot of work and voluneers. We could not avoid it.

We had to write this elaborately to let fellow bAgawathAs know that

this one was just as similar to the wedding of 4 daughters at a

time. Back at home in India, people may know how difficult it is to

do a wedding of a daughter in our house. Imagine how difficult it

will be if you have to do wedding for 4 daughters at the same time.

It was so much work and involving to arrange for this thiru

adhyayana uthsavam for the first time at Srirangam USA. Some one

even remembered jovially the famous novel by kalki " Washingtanil

thirumanam " and compared this " newyorkil thirumanam " or " thiru

adhyayana uthsavam at newyork " . It was a worthy comparison.

 

will continue .....

 

Srimadh Azhagiya Singar thiruvadikaLE charaNam

Sri RanganAyikA samEtha Sri Rangarajan thiruvadikaLE charaNam

thiru kudanthai Rengarajan

 

 

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