Search:
Bhakti List Archives

More Srirangam news

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • October 14, 1996 


From: keshava@srirangam.rect.ernet.in
To: Mani Varadarajan 
Date:          Thu, 10 Oct 1996 18:09:55 IST+530
Subject:       Re:  Hello from Sri Rangam

Dear Mani, thank you for fowarding my message to the group. I have 
already received mail from some members. I will be meeting with some 
of their relatives here and sending them mail from them.

Could you let the members know that I am a good friend of the Sri 
Rangam archakas. Especially Sri Sundara Bhattar who is kindly letting 
me use his telephone to connect my modem to. Next week there is going 
to be a one day Sudarsana Homa in the thousand pillared Mandapa. And 
of course Navaratri begins here on the 13th. Sundara Bhattar is the 
chief priest for Navaratri, then the Brahmotsava and Tepotsava this 
year. He is well know for his service at Chakratalvar Sannidhi here. 
He often arranges for special pujas to be coducted on behalf of 
visiting devotees. He is performing pujas and tirumanjanam to Lord 
Ranganatha reguarly as well as Ranganayaki, Chakratalvar, Simha 
Perumal Koil, and the Woriyur Temple. I have just got through sending 
Sudarsana mantras to one devotee in New York via e-mail for him. He 
also regularly sends prasadams, yantras, etc, etc. to interested 
devotees abroad. If anyone on the list wants to avail themselves of a 
chance to worship at any divine functions here please let us know and 
we will arrange and send prasadams.

    The other day my wife and I visited the Dasavatara sannidhi of 
Sri Ahobhila Matha. We had heard so much about it from messages on 
your list. The archaka was a very nice man, Laksmi Narasimha (Kannan) 
who lives in Uttara St. near to the Ahobhila Matha. He speaks very 
good English as he is (Vice?)-Principal of Sri Rangam High School. 
The public feeding is going on. They are giving one measure of curd 
rice to anyone who comes, morning and evening.

    The monsoon just hit here this afternoon, 10th Oct, and east 
uttara st was completely flooded. Lord Ranganatha (mula bera) is 
undergoing oil bath for one mandala (48 days) which should be over 
soon, within the next few days. Lord Ranganatha (utsava) will go on 
procession on Vijay Dasami to the Singa Perumal Koil to the east of 
the Temple. This is a hunting festival where the Lord going on His 
golden horse vahana goes to the Singa Koil. This is one of our 
favorite festivals as the Lord while coming out the east gate of the 
temple stops at a mandapa in between uttara and chitra streets. There 
He stays for some hours while pujas and naivedyams are offered to 
Him. The locals come from both streets to get darshana and tirtha, 
settari, etc. This mandapa is just across (30 feet) from our front 
door. When the Lord reaches the Singa Koil He (an archaka does it for 
Him) shoots several arrows from His bow. One of the arrows hits a tree 
which is supposed to be a demon in disguise. Thus the demon gets 
liberated by the Lord.