Srirangam Maasi Theppam 2024

Prabhandham Ghosti present Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Madals in the hot sun, Poor Management lead to chaotic scenes after the Theppam during Mariyathai and a once in a year late night procession of Namperumal through North Adayavalanjan mark Maasi Theppotsavam at Ranganathaswamy temple on Monday

Its just past 3pm on a hot Monday (Feb 19) afternoon. It is a big day in the year in Srirangam – the evening when Namperumal will provide darshan on the float at the sacred tank west of the temple. The Prabhandham Ghosti members are waiting on the South Chitrai Street for Namperumal to arrive on the palanquin on his way to the Theppam.

Back inside the Naazhikettan Vasal, the two EOs of the temple are present ahead of the start of the procession to ensure that everything is on track. Only  last week, the JC of the temple Mariappan had told this writer that the Theppotsavam is a challenging day for the temple authorities and a lot of care has to be taken on this day.  

Prabhandham Ghosti present the Madals

Hot chakkarai Pongal is presented to the Sthalathars and the Sripatham members following which Namperumal leaves for this two-hour procession. As he enters the Chitrai street, the Prabhandham members, who have gathered in good numbers, begin the presentation of the Siriya Thiru Madal (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2012/10/thirumangai-azhvaars-madal.html). The Sun is beating down from the West and hence the full screen is on through the procession on the South Chitrai Street with the devotees running towards the West Chitrai Street for darshan of Namperumal.

This is the first time in the Thai and Maasi utsavam that Namperumal makes his way on a procession through the Chitrai streets (through the entire Thai Brahmotsavam and till the day of the Maasi Theppam, the processions are all on the Uthirai Streets).

Like on the Garuda Sevai procession last week, Namperumal makes his way this time too to apartments on Melur Road and a devotee home adjacent to the tank to provide darshan as part of the mandagapadis on this evening. The Prabhandham members have completed the rendering of the Siriya Thiru Madal and have begun the presentation of the Periya Thiru Madal. Its past 5.30pm when Namperumal has made his way around the tank streets and the screen is shut for alankaram of Namperumal ahead of the procession on the float.

Namperumal presents himself with Kili Garland

By 7pm, devotees have gathered in large numbers outside the mandapam waiting for the first glimpse of the alankaram and as the screen opens, they are delighted to see Namperumal adorning a Kili Garland. The devotees count the number of parrots on the garland and engage in conversation on the beauty of the parrots.

The float itself is grandly decorated as well as any float in a TN temple Theppotsavam. The lights are bright. Everything is colourful and grand inside the float. The service personnel and the temple staff get on to the float along with Namperumal.

The devotees positioned themselves at marquee locations around the huge tank for the best view as Namperumal goes around thrice in hour long procession before he makes his way to the mandapam in the middle of the tank for Thaligai presentation.

It is 9.30pm when Namperumal makes his way out of the float for the return trip to the temple. And what followed over the next half hour or do did not make for good viewing. It has been a customary practice for many years now that on the Vedu Pari evening during the Adyayana Utsavam and on this Theppam evening, the ubayadarars and the workers who made the float a success are presented with Mariyathai. While the programme schedule has the return of Namperumal to his abode as 11.15pm, it has been rarely stuck to over the last decade. 

Devotees walk out from the Mariyathai process

It was expected for the shatari mariyathai to go on for at least half an hour. But when a set of devotees weren’t happy at the respect given to them, they protested and staged a walk out in a group. The maniyakarar, (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/03/srirangam-temple-time-keeper.html) who is the time keeper of the procession and whose responsibility it is for ensuring that all goes as per plan, was away on his phone even as the mariyathai was being accorded and was not aware of what was going on.

It is 10.15pm when the priests and the service personnel call out for him to resolve the challenge ahead of the return procession. A decision is taken that the aggrieved devotees will be presented with the Mariyathai on the east side of the tank and they are consoled.

JC should ensure that the processions are orderly

It was quite badly handled by the temple authorities. The JC, who has been known to straight forward and on the dot on any issues relating to the temple, has to ensure that devotees are not put off and made unhappy for Namperumal makes the procession to provide darshan to the devotees. Even on the Garuda Sevai (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/02/srirangam-namperumal-maasi-garuda-sevai.html?m=1) procession, there was a lot of noise and pushing of devotees and was not handled well last Thursday evening. Such unsavoury events take away the charm and the grandness of the utsavam which has grown in scale in recent  years.

MAV joins the Ghosti for Thiru Kurunthandagam

It was back to the sacred events past 10.30pm as Namperumal made his way on to the West Adayavalanjan Street for the start of the night session of the Prabhandham Ghosti. It is the one day in the year when Namperumal makes his way through the North half of West Adayavalanjan and the North Adayavalanjan Street. There was a surprise visitor at the late evening procession. Thiruvallikeni’s MA Venkatakrishnan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/05/ma-venkatakrishnan-thiruvallikeni-divya_16.html) joined the Thodakkam of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Thiru Kurungthandagam while his son was with the Vedic members even as hundreds of devotees came out of their homes to have darshan of a beautifully decorated Namperumal.

11pm and Namperumal gets into another apartment - this one the last on the night- at the junction of West and North Adayavalanjan. 

MAV told this writer that he has bought a house in North Adayavalanjan street and as a thanking gesture to Namperumal, he was with his family in front of his house to present his offerings to the Lord.

After Thiruvanthikaappu in front of Thaayar Sannidhi, Namperumal made his way back to the temple via the Chitrai Streets. It was 12.30am when he made his way back via the Naazhikettan Vasal after a nine hour trip. 

Tail Piece: Kudos to Theertha Kudam Singan and the Sripatham Vethal team

Journalist Singan worked with the Press Trust of India (PTI) for several decades before retiring a few years back. During these utsavams, it is he who carries the Theertha Vessel on his shoulder. On this long return trip, it was yet another occasion when he carried on his shoulder the heavy sacred Theertha Kudam all the way from the Tank side to the temple during the procession.

The Sripatham personnel comprising of Vethal volunteers were patient and joyful on this three hour late night return trip. It is their positive spirit that kept everyone going on this long evening for Namperumal. Many of their shoulders are swollen but with their minds firmly on carrying Namperumal, they withstand the pain finding great joy in performing this Kainkaryam as a Sripatham.