Srirangam Uriyadi Celebrations

Three Street Processions in a day mark the Uriyadi Celebrations

An Oily Morning around the Chitra Streets and the breaking of the 'Sweet Pot' in the evening

Sharp at 7am on Friday (Sept 8) morning, Lord Krishna began his procession from his Sannidhi at the South end of the Kili Mandapam. The procession around the four Chitra Streets is marked by the presentation of the oil to the devotees who applied it on their head and ‘Mochai Sundal’. Devotees also lined up in front of their homes to present oil to the Lord. After a break of three years, Saathatha Vaishnava Sridhar http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/12/saathaatha-vaishnavas-saathaanis.html) is back after a long battle with his family members and securing an order from the HR & CE to continue his Kainkaryam of carrying the Velli Thadi during the processions. By 9am, the handsome looking Krishna was back at his abode for a well earned rest.

A Joint once in a year Procession

At 3pm, for the only day in the year, Lord Namperumal joined Krishna in his birthday celebrations as the two provided a joint darshan on the Therku Vaasal. It was 4pm by the time the two parked themselves at the Yadava ‘Uriyadi’ Mandapam on the banks of the Cauvery. By this time, the Yadava Clan had already positioned themselves at the junction of the South Chitra Street and Therku Vaasal presenting the sacredy hymns. It was the big day in the year for them. In centuries gone by, the descendents of the Yadava clan would climb the tree on the South Chitrai Street just in the way a young child Krishna would  to pick up his favourite eats. However this has been done away with in recent decades. 

எண்ணெய் குடத்தை உருட்டி

இளம்பிள்ளை கில்லி எழுப்பிக் 

கண்ணை புரட்டி விழித்துக் கழகண்டு………………… 

உண்ணக் கனிகள் தருவன்

Now as part of the Uriyadi Utsavam, the favourite eats of Krishna are loaded on to the pots and placed atop the temporary Panthal. 

Return Trip from Yadava Mandapam

The road from Srirangam to Amma Mandapam is packed with peak hour evening traffic and Maniyam Sridhar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/03/srirangam-temple-time-keeper.html) is not happy with vehicles flowing on both sides of the road. He asks the drivers as to how they expected Namperumal to enjoy the procession if the vehicles did not make way for the Lord to  proceed. But the commuters are not interested for they have a destination to reach and thus Namperumal and Krishna have to wade through the traffic for the Uriyadi Procession that started at 7pm. 

 

Ahead of Uriyadi

A huge crowd has gathered in at the South Chitra Street to watch the Yadavas break the pot. After an hour long procession around the Chitra Streets, Namperumal stationed him on the South Chitra Street near the Therku Vaasal even Krishna moved forward to watch the excited Yadavas in action. The Veda Ghosti and Araiyars are presented with Paanagam, Paruppu and Sandal Paste. Soon after the pot was broken, Krishna dashed off into the Ranganathaswamy temple and back to his abode in a matter of minutes in a symbolic gesture of grabbing his dishes. 

Devotees stayed back in good numbers to watch Namperumal make his way back to his abode through the Arya Bhattar Vaasal at 9pm. 

வெண்ணெய் அலைந்த குணுங்கும்

விளையாடு புழுதியும் கொண்டு

 .....எண்ணெய் புலிப் பழம் கொண்டு

எத்தனை போதும் இருந்தேன்

Periyazhvaar’s verses on Child Krishna

A day earlier, to mark the occasion of Krishna Jayanthi, the Araiyars of Srirangam presented the favourite ‘Pillai Tamizh’ verses of Periyazhvaar on Krishna (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/08/periyazhvar-thirumozhi.html?m=1) at the now beautiful looking Pandaram Mandapam.  Through the verses on Child Krishna, Periyazhvaar in a beautiful poetic expression of the growth of a new born lures every mother to sing for her child. Through these verses, Periyazhvaar helps a devotee visualize and enjoy the infant to boyhood stages of Krishna portraying the joyful pleasures of a doting mother with a clever and mischievous child.