sakkarai pongal, Triplicane, etc.

From the Bhakti List Archives

• January 14, 1999


Dear Members:

I have some basic questions that I am sure
you can answer:

1) Why and when did the habit of offering sakkarai
   pongal as prasadam on koodaarai vellum day
   get started? Andal does not mention sakkarai pongal
   in her paasuram, nor does she even mention pongal
   (just paal sOru with ney).

2) Is it universal among Sri Vaishnavas to prepare
   puLiyOgarai on "maalE maNivaNNaa" day (day before
   koodaarai vellum) and thayir saadham on "karavaigaL"
   (day after koodaarai vellum)?

Unrelated questions:

3) Is Arjuna present inside Sri Parthasarathy Swami sannidhi
   in Tiruvallikkeni? Are there any other divya desams where
   Arjuna is present with Krishna?

4) Does anyone know if there are old sculptures of
   Krishna doing Gita upadesam to Arjuna in any of our
   temples? 

Thanking you,
Mani