Pavithrotsavam at Tirupattur Sri Gajendra varadaraja swami.-1st October 2009

Sri:
Srimathe Ramanuajaya Nama:

High light,

As a token of respect, for any utsavams carried on in this temple / any occations, there is no apposistion by other community people who live in the temple surrondings. Thanks to all. Sorry if iam wrong in saying this.

Tirupattur a glance

Thirupattur a small town which is about 260Kms far from chennai and its located a Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located approximately 35km from Krishnagiri and 80km from Hosur. The town has mainly small-scale industries and mills. Some people might describe Tirupattur as a satellite town, in which people reside and go to work in nearby industrial towns such as Vaniyambadi and Ambur in the north, but it is a commercial center from time immemorial (whereas Vaniyambadi and Ambur, which were once smaller towns, have recently flourished). It was a revenue subdivision during British raj and remains so. It has Old Shiva, Vishnu temples and Tanks built during the Hoysala Dyanasty. It is well connected by road and rail to other important cities of Tamil Nadu such as Chennai, Salem and Vellore and to Bangalore in Karnataka.

Pavithrotsavam – a glance

This is one of the important festivals at Srivaishanava temples with a hoary antiquity, agamic sanction, puranic reference and high religious significance. Basically during this utsava, the presiding deity and the other deities in the temple are adorned with pavithras (sanctified garlands of thread). Homa is performed, vedic mantras are chanted, puranas are read.
This utsava is penitential as well as propitiatory and its main objective is to get rid of the evil that might have been caused due to omissions and commissions in the performance of various rituals throughout the year. That is why this utsava is referred to severally as ``Dosha Nivaarana,'' ``Sarva Yajna Phalapradha,'' ``Sarva Doshopasamana,'' ``Sarva Tushtikara,'' ``Sarvakaamapradha, ``Sarvalokasantida.''
Pavithrotsava,as the very word indicates is derived from the combination of two words ``pavithra and utsava.'' Pavithra is a means towards purification. That is why a darba grass worn in a loose knot round the finger usually heralds the performance of any religious rite. The Jayakhya Samhita explains that pavithra protects one from evil.
The puranas also prescribe ``Pavithra Aaropana,'' i.e., adorning the deity with pavithra, as an integral part of the rituals during the worship of Lord Vishnu. For example, the agni purana specifies that the first day of a lunar fortnight either in the beginning of the month of Aashada or the end of the Krithika should be chosen for performing pavithrotsava for Lord Hari so as to earn riches! The Garuda Purana says that this rite should be done on the 12th day of the dark or bright fortnight. It is amazing to find the puranas even detailing the type of colour of the thread that should be used for preparing the pavithra.

Pavithrotsavam at Tirupattur Sri Gajendra varadaraja swami.-1st October 2009

It was in the month of last year October,

Surprising kainkaryams (Services)

Surprise one

First of all you know, in the beginning of September month, my friend requested me for a kainkaryam of buying vasthram for Sri Gajendra varadaraja swami, with out any objection I accepted to perform that kainkaryam. I was under assumption that my service is getting over once i buy the vasthram for Swami. Later I was told that Sri Sridhar battacharyar who is one of the present poojari (vamsavazhi - family line) at Tirupattur - Gajendra varadaraja swami temple, has already bought the vasthram and I would only need to pay money for it. I was blessed to see the vasthram what swami has wished to wear on his pavithrotsavam day, I was happy as the right person who know everything about swami had gone to select the vasthram that suites him the best but i was upset too as I couldn’t go and select for him.

Surprise two

I believe that Sri Gajendra varadaraja swami, had heard my worries about the vasthram situation, in the mid of September my friend who requested me to buy vasthram came back to me and said Sri Sridhar swami is preferring your presence at Tirupattur Sri Gajendra varadaraja swami temple on pavithrotsavam day. I was so surprised, as I never expected so big person requesting me to come. Once again with out any objection I accepted the invitation and applied for my leave got approved too with his grace.

Surprise three

Later before couple of days before the utsavam my friend informed me that we are going to perform Sripadam thangi kainkaryam “carry swami/ god on shoulders “on our shoulders after pavithrotsavam homam is over, I was double boosted on hearing that and that’s when I realized the value and importance of kainkaryam and different forms of kainkaryam and was happy to perform such a marvelous kainkaryam.

The day of pavithrotsavam.

My friend had arranged for a car from Chennai - Triplicane to Tirupattur Sri Gajendra varadaraja temple, as we were four people travelling to Tirupattur for Sripadam thangi kainkaryam “carrying god on shoulders” first on that day I was thinking whether to go in kacham (typical vesti (dhoti) wearing style for gruhasthan (married guy)) or to go in thattadai (typical vesti (dhoti) wearing style for unmarried bramhachari (unmarried guy)), later I put Srivaishnava symbol “Thiruman kaappu / Thirunamam” on my fore head and was ready to leave, cab was scheduled to arrive at 6am but it reached my home at 11am, we were late but the driver was so nice, he managed to balance the lost minutes in his safe and fast driving.


Funny moment:

As it was so long journey I didn’t realize that my kacham (typical vesti (dhoti) wearing style for gruhasthan (married guy)) got loosened and with out realizing I got out of the car to relax my self. The moment I got out of I felt something fell down from my hip and immediately with out even knowing what it was, I pushed my self into the car and found that it was my kacham and later pulled it in side the car and wore it in thattadai form (typical vesti (dhoti) wearing style for unmarried bramhachari (unmarried guy)). Thank god no one saw me.

Lunch

My friends had a very good lunch in a vegetarian hotel near Ambur but as I was having Srivaishnava symbol “Sri Thiruman” on my forehead I refused to have anything out side.

On the way

We enjoyed the beauty of running rivers and big hills and the clouds covering it.
As it rained we enjoyed the cool climate and felt as if we were in ooty.

Reached temple

We reached Tirupattur at 4:30Pm. Wow what a beautiful place, as the town is very close to yelagiri and other Hills. Climate was so wonderful we didn’t feel the tiredness of traveling 260kms.

Surprise four

As it was too late I thought I might not get anything to eat but surprisingly I got handful chakrapongal (rice cooked along with jaggery) prasadam of swami to have.


Stay

Sri Sridhar battacharyar swami informed us that we can stay in the room, where saints like Thirupathi jeeyar and other jeeyar swamis use to stay. We took a small bath and got ready in a typical Srivaishnava costume i.e. I wore kacham and put “thirunamam/thirman kaappu” on my fore head and went to the place where homam was taking place and swami was placed.

Carrying God

The homam got over at around 10:00Pm night and we were blessed to carry swami from yaaga saalai (homam performed place) to his sannithi coming around the temple.

Pavithra kumbam.

The Pot filled with water to which the homam was performed and powers were boosted to. Sri Sridhar swami was carrying it on his head and we carrying Sri Gajendra varadaraja swami on our shoulders. We started walking in oyyali style (cross walking with little jump / jerk in walk), we reach the jwajaathambam (flag post), we performed a oyyali dance with swami on our shoulders once it got over we performed Magudi, (walking and moving slowly as a snake would). Enjoyed each and every moment when he was on our shoulder. Then we reached the sannithi and we place swami before the mandapam (room) and left out so that battacharyas can do the other formalities to make the pavithrotsavam complete. After some time Sri Sridhar swami called us in side once swami was taken inside his sannithi. Then we went in and brought the kedayam (kind of un closed - palanquin).

Time of leaving from Tirupattur

We were packing back to Chennai – Triplicane, I heard voice of Sridhar battacharya swami, I went to see him and was gifted with Sri Gajendra Varadaraja Swami’s Pavithram and a Thagadi (A cloth like shall) and Sri Gajendra Varadaraja Swami’s Garland, felt lucky to get such un-valuables of Sri Gajendra Varadaraja Swami.

Then after getting permission from Sri Gajendra Varadaraja Swami and Sri Sridhar swami we left Tirupattur at 11:30pm and reached Chennai – Triplicane at 5am in the morning.

Request to all

Friends if you are going to Vellore or towards Bangalore in car, please spend some time and get the blessings of Sri Gajendra varadaraja swami.


adiyen,
Srikanth