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thiruvaatip pUraththu jekathth uthiththaaL vaazhiyE

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Venkat Iyengar S. • July 23, 2001 


			 SrImatyaI GoDayaI Nama:
		
	Today (24 july) thiruvadipooram celebrations would be in full
	swing at Srivilliputtur.On earlier occasions of thiruvadipooram
	(98 & 99) i had penned some of my memories of the festivities in 
	srivilliputtur,in this post i wish to add some thoughts on the
	events which occur before the thEr purappadu takes place.I have put up
	a consolidated writeup on this festival  at
	
	http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7673/festivals/adither.html
	
	
	Thiruvadipooram is the 9th thirunal in the 10 day annual
	Adi Brahmotsavam .On the 8th Thirunal the poompallaku sevai
	is held which continues late into the Night.Thayar Sri 
	Andal will sight the ThEr for the first time during this sevai.
	Usually around 4 am in the morning Sri Andal and Sri Rangamannar 
	will mount the ThEr to the divine chanting of mantrams.This timing
	is very important.When  the Divya Dampathis mount the ThEr the
	pooram star should be in asendence-this determines the
	 date of occurence/observence of thiruvadipooram.Usually
	there is a large bhagavatha goshti during this occasion.After
	pujai,Sri Andal and Mannar majestically seated on the thEr give
	 darsanam to all Bhagavathas.This darsanam  starts around 5 am
	
	 Those who have visited Srivilliputtur would have noticed the 
	thEr on the roadside almost touches a mandapam.The amaippu of the
	thEr is such that a few feet below the level of the wooden floor
	on the 	thEr where the simmasanam of the divya dampathis is tied 
	-there is a small space to do a pradakshinam of the divya 
	dampathis. This circular space almost 	matches with the height of
	the top floor of the mandapam.(this small circular path on the
	thEr is approximately 35 feet above the ground) The madapam roof
	and this paricular level on the thEr are connected by  few planks 
	and bamboo sticks are tied on the sides.
	
	The darsanam starts from around 5 am.By around 6/6:30 am there is
	a long queue which stretches upto the mandapam gate below.Moving in
	a single file one reaches the thEr after crossing the plank and is 
	allowed to have a darsanam for a few seconds , complete the 
	pradakshinam and come out. It is a great sowbhagyam to have such
	an early darsanam of Thayar and Perumal in the morning and receive
	their Aaseervadhamas(kungumam is given to all devotees) on this
	sacred day.A partition is made over the planks to facilitate the entry
	-darsanam-pradakshinam -exit in a single file.Karpoora aarathi is 
	 shown frequently.This darsanam is allowed only upto 7:30/8 am 
	depending on the starting of the thEr purappadu.Usually some sweet 
	like kesari or sakkarapongal will be prepared on this day and
	served along with breakfast in most of the homes in Srivilliputtur.
	As i write this the ThEr must have made the first turn into the
	katcheri theru by this time(9:45 IST)
	
	Let us pray for the Nithya SrI and Nithya Vaibhavam of the 
	Divya Dampathis to continue in all glory for all the times to come
	
	SrI Andal SamEtha Sri Rangamannar thiruvadigale saranam
	
	adiyen Ramanuja dasan
	Venkat S Iyengar
	




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