Pagal Paththu 9th &10th day..22 12 2012

9 am thirunaal  22^nd of December

Perumal ……Namperumal….was scintillating in yellowish mustard with red and purple border, but  what was more unusual were his hasthams and thiruvadi. His hasthams were covered in pearls ,as were his lotus feet. So it looked like gentle drops of snow had fallen on His hands and feet. He had matched his jewels with pearls, small and big , with ruby pendants. Pearl head gear ….the crown was pearl studded, he had a belt made of pearls delicately worked on ,which was worn rakishly, stylish and he looked every inch ready to come down to Thiruvarangam  to enjoy all the festivities  especially the Chithrai veedhi kutcheris….so many young dancers and musicians  all singing the praises of Him . All around the Koil,  police have been posted to ensure safe entrance for devotees. Plenty of shops selling color kola maavu, flowers, plastic toys ,have sprung up all over Uthara veedhi. Car park has become very difficult  and residents have been given car passes with their names and addresses.

Chithrai veedhi  smells yummy as many small pushcarts have come up selling hot onion pakodas , samosas ,chapathis,   and bakshanams. But I have to state here that as a country a lot is left to be desired…..I’m talking of people who spit on the roads ,regardless of the place  they stand in. this problem needs to be addressed immediately.

The Thathachariars have started the food scheme this time too. This family feeds yatris during this festival--- morning and evening. As immediate neighbours we receive piping hot sambar rice and thayir sadam , two times a day and it’s as if they were saying …”you don’t waste time cooking …instead you go into the temple toi enjoy the Perumal.” which is what we do apart from sleeping off all the food.

10 am naal thirunaal…Mohini alangaram

Early morning 4 am and we were all bathed, dressed in swaroopam…ie…madisar and  panchakacham and found ourselves inside the temple. Getting inside was a task  as  neither the police nor the temple authorities knew what they were doing and there was no proper guidance for them too . But we somehow went inside and got into the Karuvoolam, a long corridor on the west side of GarbhaGriham. As we waited with bated breaths ,I was amazed at the devotion of so many people who had come not knowing what to expect. Namperumal came out Dressed as Naachiyar….in a white saree with blue border ,wearing as many jewels as she could possibly manage……Her hands full of gold  bangles embellished in rubies ,emeralds and diamonds. Namperumal has the best!.

The right hand holds a parrot which sits endearingly looking at “her”, studded with rubies and diamonds, the left hand she holds regally on her thigh. Even though Namperumal impersonates thayar, He looks every inch a King, sitting grandly with one leg bent and the other on a pedestal but both feet firmly planted on a bundle of jasmine flowers. As the story goes, the conversation between Bhattar, son of Alwan, and Namperumaal was that Namperumaal wanted Bhattar to comment on this Alankaaram whether HE resembled Thayar, to which Bhattar responded “Nachiyar Vizhi Vizikka Onnavey” …meaning that HE resembled Thayar, but the grace in HER eyes were missing !!!!”. The thandai and kolusu look heavy but He carries it off well, The throne on which He sits is covered in a mustard pattu vasthram with red border off  setting the white blue saree. The head gear today is decorated with all kinds of pieces of jewellery ,the kind of which we can see only on Him,  The nalinam of his Consort is missing but He looks bewitching still.

We see purappadu of Mohini alangaram and rush to the Arjuna mandapam to wait his arraival there for the Araiyar Sevai. He comes in on his Tholukkinian…….and settles down .

Srirangam after the morning ,becomes very difficult to  navigate. pilgrims pour in continuously….and the queue stands long and winding.

Evening Mohini wears a kili malai…..making glimpses even magical…..everyone strains to have a peep into the crowd to see where she is .

It is Vaikunda Ekadasi on 24^th morning and I can hear people walking from 1am. The crowd has been diverted all around chithrai veedhi, so it goes as pradakshinam to enter. I cleaned our vassal at 3am and Imagine the sight……I could see a steady stream of people walking towards the temple. Iyyapan yatris, melmaruvatrhur yatris, Samayapuram yatris all hoping to get a glimpse of Namperumal today as it is ekadesi. They seem like real bakthas….they have not bothered to brush, bathe …but they rush in to see Him.

At 4.30…a group walks by …a fairly large group chanting thirupavai, and then at 5am..goes the famous sahasranamam group chanting the 1000 names of Vishnu, and now at 5.30am goes the daily unchavrithi group singing bajhans. The milkman constantly rings his bell at every door.

I have done the kolam today and it is a huge serpent but a smiling one and everyone who passes by comments on the smiling serpent! The irony of it all my husband and I saw the whole vaikunta vaasal on TV only, Fearing for the crowd v/s my husband’s already shortened middle finger getting squished more!!! We stayed back!! But in spirit we were there with Rangan and I’m sure our presence has been marked! We passed a VIP pass to a cousin and understood they had good darshan. But around 10am we went and had darshan of Namperumaal in 1000 pillar mandapam.