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From the Bhakti List Archives

V.Srimahavishnu • May 10, 1999 


          SrI rAmachandra parabrahmaNE namah.   
     
 Dear bhAgavatas,
                      My humble obeisances to you all.

     A few days ago some members asked as to which TirumaNN
(vadagalai/tenkalai) was older and what was the difference between
red/yellow Sri chUrNam.I would like to write a few words in this regard.
              
            SrI anandALwAn recommends TirumaNN with a mUlam and a middle
SrI chUrNa rEkhA, in his vEnkatAchalEtihAsa mAlA. He also takes note of
other varieties of it.He  quotes pramANas for both kinds of
TirumaNN of our sampradAyam. Though an Urdhva puNdram with a middle line
of red/yellow SrI chUrNam is recommended for a VaishNava as well as for
the mUrti of Lord VishNu, anandALwAn says it is OK without middle line
also (as in GaudIya VaishNavam?). 
        
        My grandpas were of different kalais but both had a middle red
line only.

            Also if we take VaikhAnasam as a reference, we can have four
combinations i.e; Vadakalai/Tenkalai TirumaNN with middle red/yellow line.
One of the TTD priests told me that it varies as per dESAchAram and
vamSAchAram for them.
   
             So there is no reason for me to believe that Tenkalai
TirumaNN is older than Vadakalai one or a VaishNava should have yellow SrI
chUrNam only.     
                          SrI vEnkatESa charaNau SaraNam prapadyE
                                      dAsan
                                  V.Srimahavishnu