May 2 , 2006: Acharya Ramanuja Jayanthy festival update

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear AchArya Ramanuja BhakthAs:

 

It is my pleasure to forward the mail from

Sri Manoram Dasa , who is the key person

for supervising the construction at SriperumbhUthUr

sanitary facilities.

 

From his description , one can see the value of the facilies

in future for helping the vistors of SriperumbhUthUr

abhimAna Sthalam .

 

The latest tally shows that we have raised ( US+ Australia+

India+ Kuwait ) 3.6 Laks of Rupees sofar.

 

The cost estimate for the project completion is 4Laks of

Rupees . It is our hope that the remaining funds will be

raised soon and the construction will start in 2 to 3 days.

 

My thanks on behalf of Srimans M.K.Sudarshan ,

Sri Manoram Dasa to every one who have provided

most welcome support to make this project possible.

 

Ramanuja Dasan ,

V.Sadagopan

 

-

" Manoram Dasa " <mano1008

<yennappan

Cc: <mksudarshan2002

Friday, May 05, 2006 10:05 PM

festival update

 

 

> Dear Sri Sadagopan prabhu,

>

> Report on Sriperumbuttur festival.

>

> Prabhuji, 10 other congregational devotees and I left for Sriperumbuttur

> on the 2nd of May at 3 pm from West Mambalam in a truck filled with

> barrels of Sundal and lemon rice prasadam.

>

> We reached there around 4 pm and the Thirumanjanam for Swami Ramanuja was

> just about to start. I handled the truck carrying prasadam and my other

> friends went inside the temple to take darshan.

>

> I went into the temple after they returned where the Thirumanjanam was

> being performed. There were thousands of devotees witnessing the grand

> celebrations. Devotees were engrossed in Bhakti and were intently watching

> the various ceremonies being performed. Old or young, their eyes were set

> on the beautiful diety of Sri Ramanuja. The total mood was filled with

> reverence and bhakti.

>

> It was hot inside the manadapam and people were sweating due to the heat.

> There was no place to sit and many were standing and intently watching the

> celebrations. Despite the scorching heat and sweating, none had any

> intention to move out of the mandapam until the thirumanjanam was over and

> gladly endured all the discomforts. At the time of Sripada tirtham

> distribution, my friend overheard an old lady say that she had been here

> at sriperumbuttur for the past 10 days just to get receive the sacred

> sripada tirtham of Swami Ramanuja.

>

> All dharmmashalas in sriperumbuttur were packed with the devotees who had

> come to witness the great festivities. Bhagavatha thadiyartanai was going

> on for last 10 days at all mandapas. Thousands of devotees were being fed

> with the sacred prasadam everyday. Many slept outside the temple and the

> dharmashala as the place was so overcrowded with devotees.

>

> Many devotees split into small groups performed the namasamkirtanam in

> praise of the Lord. Many chanted the several Divine names of Swami

> Ramanuja; so much is their Acharya bhakti and attraction to the divine

> name of Swami Ramanujar. Every vaishnava present there spoke of the

> greatness of Swami Ramanujar. It was a real sight to observe several

> vaishnava devotees walking all the way from their villages as they had no

> vehicles or funds to pay for their tickets. It was so great to know that

> they did not care for external material discomforts. The darshanam of

> Swami Ramanuja was their objective and nothing else made any difference to

> them.

>

> There were Katha kalakshepams going on in the temple premises. Devotees in

> small or large groups were engrossed in the various discussions and the

> glorious pastimes of Swami Ramanujar.

>

> After sometime our team of devotees began distributing lemon rice and the

> Sundal Prasadam. At the same time we served 150 litres of cold butter milk

> to several devotees gathered opposite the Ethiraja Jeeyar Matham. Our

> services were over by 10 pm and we returned to Chennai by 11 pm with a

> great satisfaction of serving the vaishnavites at an appropriate time on

> the occasion of the Sri Ramanujacharya appearance day celebrations.

>

> Construction details: Our team is ready but, waiting for the

> green signal from the temple authorities. Although we have officially

> received a letter from the temple authorities and as the construction

> would block usage of the existing toilets, they have requested our team to

> hold the construction work for a few days and that devotees would be using

> the existing 3 toilets. We will most probably start construction work in

> about two to three days time.

>

> Dasanu dasan,

> Manoram.