Vaanamaamalai Yaatrai - travelogue

sri:
srimathe ramanujaya nama:
srimad varavaramunaye name:
srimad vaanaachala mahamunaye nama:

adiyen (along with family) reached vanamamalai on 25th April. It was 2nd day of chitthirai (perumal utsavam) and 8th day of emperumaanar avathaara utsavam.

In the morning, after finishing nithyaanushtanangal we first participated in the thiruveedhi purappadu of Srivaramanga samEtha Deivanagan emperumaan in thOzhukku iniyaan (pallakku). It might be unusual to see thaayaar coming out of the temple for purappadu for someone from thondai mandalam especially - but in vaanamaamalai, thaayaar enjoys several thiruveedhi purappadu during the year along with emperumaan. We then went to take darshan of jeeyar swamy and swamy is seen healthy and with his usual charm. we took sripaadha theertham and swamy enquired about our well being, etc.

after that, we witnessed thirumanjanam of sridevi, bhoodhevi, srivaramanga samEtha deivayanayagan along with nammazhwar (in sri satagopam itself) and emperumaanaar (actually emperumaanaar also just witnessed the thirumanjanam since swamy did not have one).

followed by that arulicheyal goshi started - 200 paasurams from thirumozhi and 100 pasuram from thiruvaimozhi every day for emperumaanar utsavam. Glad to see close to 15 swamys participating in the goshti. When the first session is over it was almost 2.30pm and time for some prasaadam (2pm is pretty standard time for thadhiyaaraadhanam during festive times at the mutt. On regular days also there is thadhiyaaraadhanam at around 1pm daily throughout the year at the mutt - exceptions being ekaadasis and when the jeeyar swamy is on yAtrai).

Around 5pm, perumal utsavam arulicheyal goshti started again 100pasurams from mudhalaayiram and 100 paasurams from thiruvaimozhi (first and 3rd lines only).
Once this was completed, thiruvaaraadhanam happens to utsavar and then they get ready for the thiruveedhi purappadu again - both perumal and thayar in separate vaahanams daily. iyarpa chanted in thiruveedhi purappadu. in thiruveedhi purappaadu also, atleast 15 swamys are present in the goshti - which is very nice to see. sripaadham is also done by srivaishnavas around the year - during vaahana purappadu alone thaayaar is carried by non-srivaishnavas. jeeyar swamy is participating yatAsakthi in many of the events (inspite of his physical difficulties).

Everyday, there is also thaila kaappu for moolavar in this divyadesam (which happens a bit earlier during festive days). That pretty much starts the busy day for the srivaishnavas there.

highlights/unique events in vaanamaamalai divyadEsam:
* daily thaila kaappu for moolavar (thothathrinaathan emperumaan)
* srivaramanga naachiaar thiruveedhi purappadu on several occassions
* nammaazhwar's thirumEni pradhishtai in srisatagOpam (historically there has not been a separate nammazhwar thirumEni in this khetram - but now due to security reasons a thirumEni from nearby temple is seen inside this temple)
* daily thiruvaaraadhanam for garudaazhwar (perumaal vaahanam is actually a properly installed deity here)
* daily goshti in manavalamamuni sannidhi and mutt followed by full thadhiyaaraaadhanam
* separate utsavams for perumaal and thaayaar, with thirthavaari  - where perumaal/thaayaar will literally take a dip in the sEtru thAmarai (tank).

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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