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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00026 Mar 2002

 
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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 . 





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