sEtthi sEvai at SRT, New York, USA

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

SrIman Thirukkudanthi Sampath Rengarajan has

wrtitten an excellent article on the wonderful

anubhavam of the celebration of the Panguni Uttharam

at SrI RanganAthA Temple at Pomona , NY .

The celebrations took place on March 28-30.

Those who could not attend this traditional function

are welcomed to participate in this uthsavam next year

since it is celebrated in the most authentic manner.

I will try to translate the conversation between

SrI RanganAyaki and Her Lord RanganAthan duirng

Panguni Uttharam in a later posting .

 

During this year's Memorial day weekend (May 25-27),

the Temple will be celebrating the first Vardhanthi

Uthsavam for the divine bard , TaaLapAkkam AnnamAchAryA

with renditions of His krithis by VidvAns and VidvAmsinis

and a special AarAdhanam for ThiruvEngadamudayAn .

This will be the first time , such salutations to

this great devotee of ThiruvengadamudayAn is being

organized in the East Coast of USA.

 

During this weekend , the LakshArchanai for Lord

RanganAthA and SrI RanganAyaki will be completed .

This LakshArchanai will start on April 12 and

conclude on May 25 ,2002.Please participate.

 

The crowning ceremony duirng this long week end

would be the Prathishtai at Four AchArya Sannidhis

on May 26,2002. Please refer for details to

http://www.ranganatha.org or please contact me.

 

You are all welcome to reserve these dates (May25-27)

on your calendars to participate in these special events at

SrI RanganAthA temple.

 

V.Sadagopan

Vice Chairman ,

SrI RanganAtha Temple

Pomona , NY.

 

Panguni Uttharam Celebrations at Sri RanganAtha Temple

by

Thirukkudanthai SrI Sampath RengarAjan

 

Sri Ranganatha Temple (SRT) celebrated Sri Panguniutthiram celebrations over

the week end in a very authentic and grand manner. The puRappAdu

(procession) of Sri NamperumAL commenced at 7:30 PM on 28th evening amidst

the chanting of traditional prabhandams and vedham. The veedhi gOshti

proceeded Sri Ranganatha as he inched towards HIS consorts' abode.

 

The stage was set when two hundred sEvArtthis assembled on either side of

the prAkAram (circuit) that leads to the thAyAr sannithi in a very packed

and emotional manner. Everyone were given peeled banana and jack

fruits. An explanation of " mattaiyadi " was presented in english. Mattaiyadi is

the scenario when PerumAL tries to sneak in to the abode of ThAyar after his

extra-marital affairs with Uraiyur nAcchiyAr the previous days. The

sthalathArar of Srirangam are said to have assembled near thAyAr and

take SrI RanganAyaki's side of the story. On seeing this insincere PerumAL

shamelesly coming back to HIS faithful consort after a brief affairs with

someone else, it is said that the peNN veettAr throws banana and jack fruit

at PerumAL in protest of HIS unacceptable behavior. At this stage PerumAL

pretends to run towards thAyAr for two reasons. One is HE wanted to show

that HE is pretty serious and longing to see HIS beloved (guilty

consciousness ?). Second reason is that HE wanted to run away and take a

quick shelter from the astroid of brick bats (banana bats and jack fruits

bats). HE tries to run and the thiRai or the screen of ThAyAr reamins closed

as ThAyar is pretty upset and does not

want to receive PerumAL anymore. RanganAthan never gives up ( similar to how

HE never gives up taking possession of jivAthmAs who always wait around

giving lame excuses for doing baranyAsam untill they reach very very old age.

RanganAthan always prevails!). PerumAL returns to the place where HE started

and HE tries to approach RanganAyaki again in HIS unique simma nadai/

Lion gait). But mattaiyadi continues. The throwing and protest continues

even more forcefully now. RanganAthan again does not give up. HE tries the

third time and again the mattaiyadi continues. After RanganAthan was taught

a lesson (in the hard way), the most merciful RanganAyaki decides to open

the thiRai to see th most embarassed RanganAthan , Her Lord .Now the

sthalathArars stay calm as RanganAyaki gives Her Lord a bit of Her mind.

 

PerumAL with bananas and jack frits splatered all over HIS face and dress

comes in front of ThAyAr , who diaogues with PerumAL. This dialogue was read by

group of volunteers led by Sri AMR Kannan of Syaracuse for PerumAL and

Sri Ragurama bhattar for ThAyAr in a very classic and rhythemic way. An

english translation was provided each time a dialogue was completed

between them by Sri AMR Kannan. After the diualogue,Sri NammAzhwAr arrived

and seated himself betwen his parents and engaged in mediation. After Sri

NammAzhwAr's explanations and assurances , ThAyar gives in inspite of

PerumAL's yet another prank. Then PerumAL was seated next to ThAyAr in the

" sEtthi " (together) sEva. At this time Sri Venkat Kanumalla summed up the

event in a very unique way in his own intimidable style.He reminded everyone

as to how PerumAL lost HIS wedding ring (of HIS marriage with thAyAR) to

uRaiyur nAcchiyAr and as to how the bhattars of Srirangam went around the

veedhi or streets surrounding the temple to seek help from

sthalathArars(native sons) to make another ring and save PerumAL's face

(cover up!!). (*)

 

Then the sEvArtthis were provided with the one and only unique oppurtunity

of doing sEtthi Archanai for the next hour. There were constant stream of

them doing archanna (the next day good friday holiday for many). Then

perumAL and thAyAr were left in ekAntham for their " oodal " (lovers fight)

and patch up to continue in privacy. At about 11:30 PM the gOshti fo strong

75 sEvartthis chanted Sri gadya thrayam led by Sri Venkat swamin. At the end

of this chanting Sri Udayavr came in puRappadu and was given all mariyAdhais

from sEtthis. Sri Venkat explained the episode as to how Sri Ramanujar

burst into an elevated spiritual sense and exploded with SriGadya thrayam

on this most auspicioius day of thAyAr thiru nakashatthiram (birthday). Sri

Venkat also briefly explained the meaning of Sri gadaya trayam in english.

Exactly at midnight the thiru manchanam began in the most spectacular way.

It was done with 108 kalasams. After a number of kalasams the upachAran to

sEtthis was offerd in the most traditioanl way. There were several different

fruits and nuts brought for the occasion. All of them were preprared

earlier by the gOshti kankaryabarALs by peeling of the fruits skins and

taking away the seeds and making it more pleasant to consume. The uapchAram

of dheepam, dhoopam and fruits and veTTrilai pakku were offered after every

time 6 kalasams were used for thiru manchanam. This symoblises Sri Udayvar's

18 attempts to learn the rahasyaartham. Each time after this ubachAram the

thAmboolam was provided to a gruhastha from the gOshti and sEvartthis

confering them the blessings of prosperity from this unique sEtthi.

Thirumanchanam proceed with the upanishads, sukthams and neeRAttam chanted

in a traditional way by the gOshti. Finally after the 108 kalasams,

eeravadai theertham was offered to all sEvartthis. The gOshti now chanted

the Sri namperumAL kattiyam delivered by Sri Bhattar in an unqiue style.

(**) In all totally three sweets and AkkAra vadisal was offered to perumAL

and thAyar during the course of the entire utsavam. It was 3:30 AM as the

kattiyam was completed after thiru manchanam. There were about 75 sEvartthis

who stayed until this time. After this the sEtthi were left in ekAntham. The

unique prabhandha gOshti of 20 dedicated bakthAs of Sri Ranganath temple who

came all the way from various parts of USA remined there near thAyAr

sannithi. At 5 AM the viswa roopam was performed at the sEtthi and perumAL

was proceeded back to HIS abode for yet another year of solitude and

betrayal (betrays tHAyAr and ofcourse a shower of mattAyadi to follow) with

HIS 7 other consorts in the span of the year.

 

Sri panguni utthiram subha masthu.

 

Sri RanganAyaki thAyAr samEtha Sri namperumAL thiruvadikaLE saraNam,

adiyEn irAmAnusa dAsan ,Thirukkudanthai Sampath Rengarajan

 

* Sri Venkat used this episode to solicit seeking the much needed financial

help for the temple went around with his uttareeyam asking for help.

 

** Sri Sadagopan Swami is planning to write a series of article on this.

 

** The celebrations continued on Saturday , March 30 .

ANDAL ThirukkalYANam was performed. GodhA Sthuthi,

SaraNAgathy Gadhyam and Bhagavath DhyAna sOpAanam

were recited in front of the dhivya dampathis on

March 30 .