Sarangapani Koil Thai Amavasai Serthi Sevai

Sarangapani Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar provide Serthi Sevai at the HR & CE office

The speciality of this day is that Thayar is seen with a Kodukku Mudi Alankaram with her long Jadai knotted in such a way that the far end reaches out to Lord Sarangapani

It is just past 3pm on Wednesday (January 29). Two Bhattars are decorating Sarangapani Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar inside the HR & CE office near the towering Raja Gopuram at the eastern entrance of this Divya Desam in Thiru Kudanthai.  The erstwhile Ekadasi Mandapam houses the HR & CE office. 

For long it has been a tradition for the Perumal Koils in this region to open only at 5pm in the evening. Scores of outstation devotees have arrived at the Raja Gopuram at 4pm to have darshan of the moolavar Aravamudhan seen in a sleeping posture but are disappointed to hear that they have to wait out an hour for the temple to open and they head to the nearby Kumbeswarar temple.

ஆரா அமுதே அடியேன் உடலம்  நின்பால் அன்பாயே

நீராய்  அலைந்து கரைய உருக்குகின்ற நெடுமாலே

சீர் ஆர் செந்நெல் கவரி வீசும் செழு நீர் திரு குடந்தை

ஏர் ஆர் கோலம் திகழ கிடந்தாய் கண்டேன் எம்மானே  - Thiruvoimozhi ( 5-8-1)

It is just past 5pm when the Prabhandham Ghoshti members arrive at the HR & CE office for the Seva Kalam. A few among the first set of devotees are surprised to hear of the divine couple being present at the HR & CE office but Thai Amavasai is the one day in the year when Sarangapani and Komalavalli Thayar provide darshan in the evening at this location that was once the Ekadasi mandapam.

It is also the Shravanam day in Thai and devotees are delighted to have darshan of the Divine Couple as well as Vaishnavaite Acharya Vedantha Desikar.

ஆறாத அருள் அமுதம் பொதிந்த கோயில் 

அம்புயத்தோன் அயோத்தி மன்னற்கு அளித்த கோயில் 

தொலாத தனிவீரன் தொழுத கோயில் துணையான வீடணற்கு துணையாம்  கோயில் 

சேராத பயன் எல்லாம் சேர்க்கும் கோயில் 

செழுமறையின் முதல் எழுத்து  சேர்ந்த கோயில் 

தீராத வினை அனைத்தும்  தீர்க்கும் கோயில் 

திருவரங்கம் எனும் கோயில் தானே 

For an hour, the Prabhandham members present the sacred verses from the Tiruvoimozhi, Ramanuja Nootranthathi as well as Desikar Prabhandham. Just past 7pm, a sizeable crowd has gathered in front of the HR & CE office for the Satru Murai verses following which they have one more close look at Komalavalli Thayar providing Kodukku Mudi Sevai in its current form!!! While historically the speciality of the day was the Kodukkumudi Sevai with the long Jadai of Komalavalli Thaayar knotted in such a way that the far end reaches out to Lord Sarangapani. Today’s alankaram was of Thayar in a simple knotted style on the head.

Clock has ticked past 8pm when Sarangapani Perumal began his procession making his way around the Potramarai Kulam. At the Western entrance, Komalavalli Thayar and Vedantha Desikar welcome him back into the temple even as the Prabhandham members recite the first decad of the Periya Thirumozhi verses. Led by Vedantha Desikar, Sarangapani Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar make their way around the outer prakara to the eastern entrance listening to the presentation of the Thiru Neduthandagam by the Prabhandham Ghoshti.

By this time, a good number of devotees have gathered in front of the Thayar Sannidhi ahead of the ‘Maalai Maatral’ event. It is almost 9pm when after having bid goodbye to Vedantha Desikar at his Sannidhi, Sarangapani and Komalavalli Thayar enacted the Maalai Maatral drama with Paatrachar representing Perumal and the erstwhile Maniyakarar of the temple representing Thayar. Devotees were delightful dance of Paatrachar as he presented Perumal’s flower garland to Komalavalli Thayar.

Following this, Thayar made her way to her Sannidhi while Sarangapani made his way to his abode through the northern entrance bringing to end the Thai Amavasai Kodukku Mudi utsavam.