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Ramesh Sarangapani • July 5, 1998 


Dear Friends,

Please read the followning invitation and agenda for the 600th
anniversary celebration of Sri Ahobila Muth to be held at 
Sri Ranganatha Temple (NY). 

dAsan
Ramesh Sarangapani

 ----------------------------------------------------------------

             Sri Laksminrisimha Parabrahmane Nama:

                     Sri Ramanujaya Nama:

                  Sri Vedhantha Desikaya Nama:

         Sri Athivan Satakopa Yatheendra Mahadesikaya Nama:

    Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedanthadesika Yatheendhra Mahadesikaya Nama:

   Sri Lakshminrisimha Divyapadhukasevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana
                         Yatheendhra Mahadesikaya nama:



Dearest bhAgawatAs and subscribers of the bhakti mailing list,

First off, let us all pray to Sri Lakshmi Narasimha, the Lord of the 
Hills in Ahobila to bless us in our often earnest albeit miniscule 
efforts to serve Him.

Perspiring from an exhilarating and yet almost incredible dream, a 20 
year old boy rushed to his preceptor, the great GhaTika Shata AmmAL, a 
stalwart among Sri VaishNava Acharyas who could compose a hundred 
verse in a GhaTika.  GhaTika Shata AmmAL belonged to the lineage of NaDAdur 
AmmAL, another apostle of that ageless yet rejuvenated siddhAnta 
called RAmAnuja SiddhAnta.

"The Lord of Ahobila, O Sire," he said in ecstatic disbelief, "has 
commanded me to don the robe of a sannyAsi.  Pray, tell me what I 
should do."  At this, GhaTika Shata AmmAL told his beloved disciple 
"If that is the Almighty's behest, Thou shalt obey it."

Thus did Lord Narasimha himself ordain the 20 year-old KiDAmbi 
SrinivAsacharya into sannyaashrama giving him the name of "Satakopa 
Jeeyar."   "Take me door to door and purify every devotee of mine with 
my conch and discuss instructing them in the three sacred mantras,"  
was the Lord's decree, which Satakopa Jeeyar carried out with earnest 
devotion through out his life on this earth.  And thus did he pass on 
to us the living legacy of the Ahobila Muth.  Forty five ascetics 
(sannyaasis) have since continued that tradition in tireless fashion
greatly influencing the lay masses both as spiritual leaders and as 
social benefactors.

During contemporary times, one breath-taking achievement by the 44th 
pontiff of Sri Mutt has been the building of the Raja Gopuram, the 
entrance gopuram for the Srirangam temple in Tamil Nadu, India. 
Regarded as the tallest gopuram of its kind in Asia, this single work 
of art provided employment to thousands of people from masons to 
construction workers, from electricians to priests for several years.  

Sri Mutt has also been responsible for starting several schools in 
India that provide not only sastraic education to hundreds of young,
intelligent and impressionable children in the gurukulam tradition but 
also free-of-cost accommodation and boarding for the students' entire 
period of education.

The current and the 45th pontiff of Sri Mutt, His Holiness Srimad 
Azhagiya Singar, is no exception in the Mutt's illustrious lineage of 
dynamic and dedicated acharyas.  His reign has seen the renovation of 
several dilapitating temple complexes, the setting up of a Veda 
Rakshana Vidwat Trust to revive and propagate our ancient Vedas and 
Sastras, the conducting of Vidwat Sadas (intellectual congregation) to 
honor thousands of Vedic scholars from all over India both financially 
and spiritually, and much much more.  A couple of small paragraphs such 
as these are grossly insufficient in bringing out all the social, 
philosophical, and religious services rendered by this centuries-old
Mutt.

Six centuries have passed since that momentous day when SrinivAsAchArya
became Satakopa Jeeyar, and we the sishyAs of the Ahobila Muth would 
like to celebrate in our own way not only that day in the history of 
mankind but also the illustrious AchArya lineage he has bequeathed.  
We invite you, one and all with family and friends, to participate in the 
600th Anniversary Celebrations of the Ahobila Muth to be held during 
the Labor Day Week End (September 5th through the 7th) in New York and New 
Jersey.  For those of you coming from other states, accommodation can 
be arranged and we can also arrange to pick you up from Newark airport.  
Please write to Srinivas Tanikella at ravi.tanikella@readersdigest.com or
sraghavan@yahoo.com giving the date and time of your arrival and the 
number of people in your group that need accommodation.   

This is your opportunity to participate and get the blessings of Sri 
Lakshmi Narasimha.  Also, enjoy the interesting lectures given by 
scholars from India and the US on several aspects of philosophy and 
religion.  We also have programs for children.  There will be 
a plethora of religious and philosophical books for display and 
purchase ranging from the simple-to-read to the most esoteric.  Enjoy 
the Carnatic music concert of Vidvan Sri Madurai Sundar.  The Mutt has
chosen to serve all devotees free lunch and dinner during the entire
celebration in keeping with the tradition of free bhagawad prasaadam 
(food offered to the Lord).  Do not miss this golden opportunity to be 
one-on-one with the divine couple Sri Lakshmi Narasimha through 
services like the Kalyana Utsavam (Marriage of the Lord to his consort) 
and Sahasra Naama Archana (Praising the Lord with a 1000 names).  All
contributions made towards such services are 100% US Federal Tax 
Exempt.

Since we expect a massive turnout of devotees during this widely 
traveled weekend from all over the US, we hope to present each of them 
with an Ahobila Mutt 600th Anniversary Souvenir.  If you wish to 
advertise in the souvenir, please refer to the contacts given below.  
Space for advertisements in the souvenir will cost $50 for a quarter 
page, $100 for a half page, and $200 for a full page.

We invite you once again to participate in and cherish this
once-in-a-century event to honor the selfless service rendered by 
the Sri Vaishnava Acharyas to the entire mankind.

Sincerely,
Raghavan Rajaji, President, Sri Ahobila Muth Inc., USA.

Contacts:

Srinivas Tanikella (NY)	914 634 8095	ravi.tanikella@readersdigest.com
S. Raghavan (NJ)	732 940 0399	sraghav@yahoo.com
Murali Kadambi (NJ)	732 544 4924	kadambi@monmouth.com
Jagannath Bharadwaj (VA)	703-573-0950	jbb0@nreca.org

Important Web Addresses:

Ahobila Mutt	http://www.cdc.net/~dileepan/ahobilam.html
Sri Ranganatha Temple	http://www.geocities.com/~ahobilam/ranga.html
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------


     ** AGENDA for the 600th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION of Sri Mutt **


SATURDAY (Venue: Sri Ranganatha Temple)
  ---------------------------------------
 
8:00 to 12:00   Thiruvaradhanai, with Divya Prabandham and Veda Parayanam

12:00 to 12:30  Prasadam 

12:30 to 12:45  Introduction to Conference - Sri R. Rajaji

12:45 to 13:30  Sri Adivan Satakopa Yateendra Mahadesikan Charitram
                by Sri. Srinivas Tanikella

13:30 - 14:30   Play on Prahlada Charitram and Nrsimha Avataram
                by group from Buffalo 

14:30 - 14:45   Break

14:45 to 15:30  Injemedu Azhagiya Singar Charitram
                by Sri U. Ve V. Kannan SwamigaL

15:30 to 16:15  Devanarvilagam Azhagiya Singar Charitram
                by Sampath Rengarajan

16:15 - 16:30   Break

16:15 - 17:00   Srimad Mukkur Azhagiya Singar Charitram
                by Venkat Kanumalla

17:00 - 17:45   Prakritam Azhagiya Singar Charitram
                by Anbil Ramaswamy

17:45 to 18:00  Sandhyavandhanam

18:00 to 18:30  Children event Slokam recital
                (Led by R. Vasanthi)

18:30 to 20:00 Vishnu Sahasranamam, Desika stotras

SUNDAY (Venue: Rented Hall)
 ---------------------------

7:30 - 8:15    Srivaishnava Guru Parampara - Sri Ahobila Muth line
               by Sri. Nadadur Madhavan 

8:15 to 9:30   Nrsimha Vaibhavam of Thirumangai Azhwar
               by Sri Ramarajan  (Tamil)

9:30 - 10:30   Sri Ahobila Muth's AGB meeting.

10:30 - 12:30  Srinivasa Kalyana Utsavam

12:00 - 13:30  Lunch Break

13:30 - 15:00  108 Divya Desams - A Picture Tour by P. Dileepan

15:00 - 15:15  Coffee/Tea Break

15:15 - 16:00  Lakshminrisimha Vaibhavam
               by Sri. V. Sadagopan

16:00 - 18:00  Question and Answers on Srivaishnavam
               Panel: Sri U. Ve V. Kannan, Sri Anand Karalpakkam, 
	       Sri Krishna Kalale   Sri Srinivas Tanikella,  
               Sri Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan
               Moderator: Sri Anbil Ramaswami

18:00 - 18:30  Sandya vanthanam ( also Sri Sundar needs time to set up)

18:30 - 21:30  Carnatic Music by Madurai Sundar. Introduction
               by Dr. V. Sadagopan

               Appeal for funds for Sri Ranganatha Temple Construction
               By Sri Venkat Kannumala.

21:30 - 21:35  Vote of Thanks by Sri R. Rajaji


Monday (Venue: Sri Ranganatha Temple)
 -------------------------------------

8:00 to 10:00   Thiruvaradhanai to Malola Lakshmi Nrsimha Padukas and
                Salagramas followed by Sahasranama Archana

10:00 to 11:00  HiraNya vadham from Kamba Ramayana
                by Sri Ramarajan (Tamil)

11:00 to 12:00  Bagwath Sri Ramnuja viabavam
                by Sri Ramarajan (Tamil)

12:00 to 13:00 Prasadam distribution, clean up.