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AvaNi ThiruvAdhirai ThridhaNdam SamarpaNam at SriperumbhUthUr, Sep 12,2001 : An Eye witness Account

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Sadagopan • October 2, 2001 


SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:

adiyEn has written earlier about this event briefly.
adiyEn would like to add this eye witness account .

Background
***********
Number of you have joined together to present 
the Multi-layer , Gold sheet clad ThridhaNdam for 
our YathirAjar's Archai at His avathAra Sthalam . 
This samarpaNam took place on His birth star day , 
which I am told is celebrated every month . His actual 
birthday falls on Chitthirai ThiruvAdhirai .He was born at
SriperumbhUthUr on a PingaLa Samvathsaram , Chitthirai Month,
Sukla Paksha Panchami thithi , when ThiruvAdhirai
constellatiuon was in ascendance (1017 CE). 

This AavaNi ThiruvAdhirai however was a very 
special day , since it was the Dasami day 
(vyathIpAdham) immediately after the PaancharAthra 
Sri Jayanthi day . This was the day of uRiyadi , 
when AchArya RaamAnujA appears as KaNNan for
procession around the streets in the morning .

After many months of the effort to complete this
Kaimakryam , the green light was given finally by Udayavar 
to present this AabharaNam to Him on this AavaNi 
ThiruvAdhirai Day during His uthsavam . On the PaancharAthra
Sri Jayanthi day (September 11) the temple authorities 
called and asked my sister to come in person with 
the ThridhaNDam and perform the SamarpaNam next day 
(September 12), the uRiyadi day at SriperumbhUthUr.

Here is my sister's(eye witness) acccount:
******************************************
on September 12 ,There were approximately 1,000 BhakthAs , 
who were assembled at SriperumbhUthUr for the Monthly
ThiruvAdhirai Celebrations. By the time , AchArya 
RaamAnujA returned from the uRiyadi uthsavam (12 Noon ),
the homam and special ceremonies for the consecration
(Prathishtai) of the new ThridhaNDam had been completed .
YathirAjar Moolavar recieved the ThridhaNDam . The power 
from the ancient ThridhaNDam from the days of consecration
of the Uthsavar by His sishyAs was transferred to the new
ThridhaNDam through the prescribed aagamic rites . 

There are many ThridhaNdams (Diamond , Pearl)that are 
adorned by AchArya RaamAnujar duirng His many Uthsavams.
These Special ThridhaNDams are worn on specific days of
the Uthsavam and are returned at the end of the day to the Safe.
The ancient Thridhandham going back to the 14th century 
came with the dhivya MangaLa Vigraham and has been in 
continous use .It had become very weak over the years
and needed replacement. (When adiyEn visited AchArya
RaamAnujA's sannidhi in Feb , 2000 after my Bhara SamarpaNam
at the sacred feet of Srimath Azhagiya Singar , 
the archakar (Sri Sampath KumAra Bhattar) commanded
adiyEn to perform the Kaimkaryam of the samarpaNam
of a golden ThridhaNDam to take the place of
the ancient ThirdhaNDam . That is where it all started ).

In AasthAnam , the Uthsava Moorthy of Udayavar 
does not adorn ThridhaNDam. It always rests
on the hand of the Moola BhEram .When the Uthsavar 
proceeds on procession outside , the ThridhaNDam 
from the Moolavar's hand is transferred to the Hand of 
Uthsavar and is returned back to Moolavar's hand
on return of the Uthsavar ( ThAmm Uhantha ThirumEni)
to the Sannidhi. 

After return from uRiyadi , Uthsavar returned to His
aasthAnam on this AavaNi ThiruvAdhirai day , changed  
His alankAram and recieved the new ThridhaNDam from 
Moolavar and travelled with it to the Thirumanjana MaNtapam 
in front of Sri YathirAja Valli Sannidhi . The new 
ThridhaNDam rested now on His right thigh . All UpachArams
like Dhantha Suddhi , TailakkAppu , KarpooRa Aaratthi
were presented to the new ThridhaNDam . Then the ThiruvAdhirai 
Thirumanjanam began in earnest .Many pots of Milk, Honey , 
Sandal paste (SanthanAbhishEkam )with KasthUri were used in 
the Thirumanjanam enjoyed by Udayavar and the assembled devotees . 
Special TaLikai ( Sarkkarai Pongal, PuLiyOdharai , Curd Rice)
were presented to Udayavar after Thirumanjanam and alankAram. 
The Mandagappadi for the Thirumanjanam , TaLikai,
and Prathishtai were covered by the BhakthAs 
participating in this Kaimkaryam . The new ThridhaNdam 
presented to our Udayavar will stay permanently 
now on His hand for years to come.

adiyEn takes the opportunity to thank my sister , 
Srimathi Padma VeerarAghavan for supervising 
the construction of this AabharaNam on behalf of
all BahkthAs and for presenting it to YathirAjar
on this AavaNi ThiruvAdhirai Day.

adiyEn concludes this posting with the salutations 
of PiLLAn ( the Jn~Ana Puthran of Udayavar) and 
Mudali AaNDAn at the time of conclusion of
the ThiruadhyayanOthsavam at Srirangam by 
their AchAryan , Sri RaamAnujar:

Sarva-desa-dasA-kaalEshu avyAhatha-parakramA
RaamAnujAraya DhivyAj~nA VardhathAm abhivardhathAm
--PiLLAn

RaamAnujArya DhiyAj~nA prathivAsaram UjjvalA
dhigantha-vyApini BhUyAth saa hi lOka hithaishiNi

After hearing thse two slOkams by His dear disciples ,
the pleased RaamAnujA prayed to Lord RanganAthA 
for the uninterrupted kaimakryam at His sannidhi
and the daily growth of SrirangaSriyam:

SrIman Srirangasriyam anubadhravAm anudhinam samvardhaya
Sriman Srirangasriyam anubadravaam anudhinam sambardhaya

AchArya RaamAnujA's devotion to His PoorvAchAryAs
is legendary . At the commencement of His GitA BhAshyam ,
He pays His tribute to Swamy AlavanthAr :

Yath-pAdhmbhOruha-dhyAna vidhvasthAsEsha Kalmasha:
vasthuthAmupayAthOham YaamunEyam namAmi Tamm 

(Meaning): " I offer my salutation to YaamunAchArya 
by meditation on whose holy feet , I have all my blemishes
destroyed and attained to the status of (authentic) existence."

May This AchAryan and His Taamuhantha ThirumEni and
His ThirdhaNDam confer MangaLam on the entire world 
and motivate us to engage in many Bahgavath-Bhaagavatha-
AchArya Kaimkaryams !

samastha chidhachith vasthu sarIrAya akhilAthmanE
SrimathE NirmalanandhOdhanvathE VishNavE Nama:
--MangaLa SlOkma of Vedaantha Saara: of YathirAjar

(meaning): "I bow unto VishNu , who has as His body
all the sentient and non-sentient beings , who is the self of
all objects, who is associated with SrI and who is the Ocean
of bliss untainted with impurity."    

Sri RaamAnujO Jayathi
DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan
  
 



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