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Saynotsavam Sevai at Srivilliputtur

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Venkat Iyengar S. • July 31, 2000 


		SrImatyaI Godayai Nama:

Since there was some discussion about the sayanam sevai at Srivilliputtur
yesterday,i just thought of sharing some memories about the sevai though
it is a long time since i have witnessed it.Incidentally today 1 aug 2000
is SAYANAM Sevai at Srivilliputtur.I will try to write on how events would
unfold today.

                 Right from around 4:30 pm onwards devotees will
start trickling towards the thEradi thEru ,take the railway station road
for  Krishnankovil.This is around 1 mile from the Andal temple .The krishnan 
Temple is a fairly big temple and i remember seeing lots of Thiruthuzzay
plants inside.
                                                 
                                                     Around 6:00 pm
 large groups of devotees start arriving,the older persons take
rickshaws:-auto's,Kudurai Vandis have become a thing of the past,they were
very popular some years ago,among the best ways is to walk to the
temple along with your friends and relatives and recount how nice it
was last time and how you are lucky to be there this time too .
                         The Mandapam at the temple starts filling
up and by about 6:30/6:40 it is packed.After some time around 7:00
and later people have no option but to wait outside the temple and
attempt to enter later when the devotees inside have finished but that
would take a long time

A large thErai is drawn across ;the bhattars are doing the alangarams-
a very special alangaram among the best alangarams that one can see
during the utsavams at various divyadesams.The magic will unfold after
sometime but till then one has to wait.The devotees who have come
earlier have caught vantage points and are waiting ,waiting and waiting.
The "Late" comers keep shifting places because one thoon is slightly on
the left and so they may perhaps not be able to catch the full view and
so they keep looking around,some are standing and looking for empty spaces
which can be grabbed immediatly.All are eager and impatient to catch the
first glimpse of the sevai.Adjoining the thErai there are two strong ropes
and some police bandobust is there to control the crowd.As soon the screen
is lifted there is a nErakkadi.Everyone's eyes are fixed on the most
wonderful sevai for the dampathis,and after some pushing around a sort of
line is formed where some people seem to be able to get very near to the
dampathis,but this line is also  only for a very short duration and
it will be broken soon ,eventually for a few valuble seconds one is able
to get a near darishanam of this sevai



                    Sri Andal who is exquisitely decorated for this
occasion sits with one leg folded and one leg hung downwards.Sri
Rangamannar places his head on the soft thiruthodai(lap) of
Sri Andal and Resting comfortably on Pratti's lap lies down in Sayanam
Posture  

Words or pictures cannot do any justice to this sevai.One has to
personally see it and feel it.After those few valuble seconds one will
have to wait for another full year to view the sevai again.

Sri Andal SamEtha Sri Rangamannar thiruvadigale Saranam

Sendalangara dasan
adiyen
Venkat S Iyengar

PS:I am sure Sri Mahesh must have done a great job with his personal
rapport with Raghu Bhattacharier and other bhattars at Srivilliputtur
PLease view the page on Sayanam Sevai done by Sri Mahesh on this
auspiciouss day and get Sri Andal and Mannar's Aasirvaadams


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