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Happy DipAvaLi Greetings

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Sun Oct 18 1998 - 20:09:34 PDT 


Dear BhakthAs :

On this auspicious and Joyous occasion of DipAvaLi,
it is my pleasure to extend my hearty greetings to you 
all for an year of happiness, peace and prosperity of
the lasting kind that is propelled by centripetal 
forces of Sri Sookthis of AzhwArs and AchAryAs of our 
ancient sampradhAyam .

I had a wonderful visit to number of Divya Desams in 
this seven day stay in India and will write about
the Bhagavadh Darsana SoubhAgyams in detail later .
A quick summary of the activities in brief is as follows :

Friday , Oct 9 : Arirval in Chennai and the Sevai of
Sri ParthasArathy , Sri Vedavalli ThAyAr , Sri TeLLiya
Singham , Sri VaradarAjan , MannAthan , Sri Ramachandra at 
Thiru AllikkENi . It was the Thirumanjanam day for
Sri RukmiNi SamEtha Sri ParthasArathy . The sevai was 
eye-filling . 

** Recipt of the MahA PrasAdham of ThirunAraayaNan of
Melkote from Sri AlwAr , who came all the way from 
Mysore .He presented me also with a beautiful shawl that
had the dEha Sambhandham of Sri RaamAnujA ArchA at
MelkOte. We discussed the AchArya RaamAnujA CD ROM
project and future projects for Sri VaishNavism . 
Most recently , H.H , The 45th Jeeyar Of Ahobila Matam 
had seen this Demo CD ROM and has blessed this Kaimkaryam 
and observed that modern technologies like this one should be 
used to disseminate the Kula dhanams to all Sri VaishNavAs 
in an easily  accessible manner to grow our sampradhAyam 
further . 

**Left by Sethu Express the same night 
for Oppilaippan Koil .

Saturday , October 10 AM : Last Purattasi Saturday at 
my Kula Dhiavam's sannidhi. Exraordinary Sevai of 
the Divya dampathis with more than 8 Nila maalais and 
TulasI gaelands was most captivating . There was  a huge 
crowd of SevArthis on this auspicous day .

Oct 10 PM : Trip to AdhanUr , PullambhUthankudi and 
the BrindhAvanams of the Five Azhagiya Singhars :
25th , 26th ,30th ,37th and the 38th Pattams .

Oct 11 : Most of the day at Oppiliappan Sannadhi for 
the following festivals in connection with the AbahraNa 
samarpaNams:

** Thotti ( Paadha ) Thirumanjanam for the Uthsavars

** SamarpaNam of MaaNIckka Kondai , Navarathna Jatakothsu ,
Emerald Parrot for Sri Bhumi DhEvi Uthsavar and
the MUtthangis for the Uthsavars .Photos and videos 
were taken of the whole festival with the 
permission of the devasthAnam .These will be  added to 
the current home page for Sri Oppiliappan .

** Periya perumAL's Thirumnajanam , AlankAram .

** SamarpaNam of Raaja Sevai AbharaNams for Periya 
PerumAL ( ThiruviNNagarappan ). These are specially 
embroidered velvet dresses adorned with gems and pearls .

** Afternoon : ThirukkalyANam for the Uthsavars 
after the samarpaNam of Mutthnagis for Them .
It was a divine sevai ( the KalyAN aThirukkOlam of 
the Uthsavarsand the exchange of garlands between them ).

** TadhiyArAdhanam for nearly 700 Visitors 
who participated in the functions at our 
House . 

** Evening : Swami Desikan Uthsava Saatthumurai 
in the company of Sri U.Ve. V.N. Gopaladesikan 
and Veedhi Purapaadu of Swami Desikan . 

Oct 12 : Monday :Arirval at Mathurai by car for few hours of rest 
prior to the trip to Sri VilliputthUr .The highlights are :

** Swami Desikan's sevai at Sri Villiputthur with the 
special Alankaarams by the Bhattars of GodhA Piratti 
prior to entering Her AasthAnam with Sri Seva Swami ,
who was the honored , invited guest for the AbaharaNa samarpaNams
at both Oppiliappan KOil and Sri VilliputthUr .
That was a great BhAgyam to be with this MahAn 
for three days .

** Procession of the GhOshti carrying the RaaNI sevai 
AbharaNams around the Maada veethis of ANDAL to theb 
accompaniment of Nathasvaram music ( Nava rasa Kannadaa ,
MaaLavi raagams , YEsal , English Noite et al ).
Arirval at the Thiruppaadhams of ANDAL and presentation .
Still photos and videos were taken of the entire event 
for future publication  in the special home page to be created
for ANDAL . 

** Sevai of the Moolavars behind the Ardha Mantapam , where 
ANDAL stays after coming out to greet AchArya RaamAnuja 
after he offered the 1000 vattils of akkAra vadisil on
behalf of Her to fulfill Her promise to Sri SundararAjan 
of ThirumAlirumchOlai .Sri RaamAnujA became GodhAgrajan 
thereafter.Here at the inner sanctum with restricted
entry , Garuda Bhagavan stands at the side of the Divya
Dampathis with folded hands across His chest to obey their
commands . Everywhere else , He has anjali hastham .  

** Sevai of Sri GodhA PirAtti , Sri RangamannAr 
in Thirumanjana kOlam at the front mantapam opposite 
the well , where She used to look at Herself as 
the SooDik kOduttha NaacchiyAr . PuNyavachanam ,
Arayar's participation  , AlankAram as the RaaNi 
of this universe . With Her special queen's crown ,
she was a little taller this day than Her divine consort .
She blessed us with a special lunch
after samarpaNam at Her own MadapaLLi .We reassembled
at Ahobila Mutt built by the 26th Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt 
to pay our regards to all the participants from the temple .

** Visit to ThirumAlirum ChOlai and the sevai of
KaLLazhagar . The most beautiful sevai of the Divya
Dampathis is an event that fulfills one's heart
with joy right after the sevai of ANDAL at Her AasthAnam .
Bhattars honored me with the PeethAmbharam as Parivattam 
and presented it to me permanently . Evening aarAdhanam 
and the deposition of the Koil keys at "KarupaNNa swamy 
sannadhi" for the night concluded this visit and we set off 
on our trip to Tirucchi fro next morning's visit to
Sri Rangam .

October 13, Tuesday : The wonderful visit to Sri Ranganathan ,
Sri Ranganaayaki Sannidhis , the daranam of Para VaasudEvan and 
Sriranga VimAnam , other famous sannidhis , PrasAdha SvIkaraNam .

** Visit to ThiruveLLarai Divya Desam , where AchArya 
RaamAnujA resided for  a number of years . It is an ancient 
temple celebrated by Swami Desikan in Hamsa SandEsam .

** Flight back to Madras from Trichy 

Oct 14: Wednesday : 

** Sri PerumbhUthUr : AchArya RaamunujA's
Taamuhandha ThirumEni darsana soubhAgyam 
and prayer for the successful conclusion
of the CD ROM project dedicated to Him .  

**Visit to Kaanchi Divya desams :
UlagalandhAn , KaarvAnam , Paandavar DhUthar, 
YathOkthakAri and Devap PerumAL-PerumdEvi
ThAyaar sannidhis . At  Lord Varadarajan's Sannidhi , 
Bhattar asked me to perform the Thiruvaalavatta
Kaimkaryam ( Fan service)during that Ekaantha Sevai , 
which was a most blessed experience . At the end of 
the ardhajAma aaarAdhanam for the Lord and His divine 
consort , the milk  at he right temperature presented
to the Lord earlier and the aravaNai prasAdham consumed by Him 
were given to us . I stood at the site ,where Swami
Desikan stood during the KaalakshEpam of NadAdhUr ammAL 
and reflected on the glory of his divine contributions .

**Thursday ,Oct 15 : Visits with AgnihOthram 
Sri RaamAnuja TatachAr , SangItha Kalaanidhi Sri KVN 
and SevA SWAmi .

**Friday and EkAdasi : ThiruveLLUr : Thriumnajanam 
and nithya KattaLai for the day for Sri Kanakavalli
SamEtha Sri VeerarAghavan in the company of Sri KGK
Swamy , an ardent BhakthA of the divya dampathis at this
divya desam . Most magnificient Thriumanjanams for 
both the divya dampathis were performed in the  most 
Saastraic manner .After the recent MahA SamprOkshaNam 
in which many of you particpated , the temple is resplendent .

** With the special help of Sri KGK Swami , we visited the
BrindhAvanams of the following five Jeeyars
and Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar's Sannidhi as well :

H.H. 32nd , 33rd , 34th , 35 th and the 42nd jeeyars.
Each one of them had extraordinary contributions
of service to the divya dampathis of this KshEthram .
I was fortunate to receive the Holy Sri PaddhukhAs 
worn by the Injimedu Azhagiya Singhar on my head 
to conclude this journey .

Saturday Morning : Departure for New York from Chennai.

In summary , Eight days wiht 4 nights in Train 
or plane or in the back seat of a car , but 
the rest of the time spent following the foot steps
of AzhweArs and AchAryAs from ThiruvallikkENi
to SrivilliputtUr . It is one of the best blessings 
that happened to me that I can share with you .

AdiyEn , 
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan