Thiruvahindrapuram Vedantha Desikar Utsavam

The Vadakalai Vaishnavite Acharya provided darshan around the four streets on a Hamsa Vahana on Tuesday evening on the first day of the Avathara Utsavam

At the Thiruvahindrapuram Divya Desam, where Vadakalai Vaishnavite Acharya Vedantha Desikar composed the Hayagriva Stotram, the ten day celebrations of his Avathara Utsavam began on Tuesday (Sept 24). With the Desikar Utsavam coinciding with Navarathri celebrations, Devanathaswamy made his way at 4.30pm from his Sannidhi to Shenbagavalli Thayar Sannidhi for Serthi Sevai even as the priests were decorating the acharya at his Sannidhi ahead of the first day procession. 

Traditionalists' Kainkaryam

It was heartening to find the Vadakalai traditionalists gathering in good numbers in their traditional attire on this opening day to perform the Sripatham Kainkaryam as they carried their acharya on their shoulders from his Sannidhi at 7pm. Till the acharya made it to the vahana street procession, they managed and took care of every Kainkaryam inside the temple complex.

அருள் தரும் அடியவர்பால் மெய்யை வைத்து 

தெருள் தர நின்ற தெய்வநாயக 

நின் அருளெனும் சீரார் அறிவையானதென 

இருள்செக எமக்கோர் இன்னொலி விளக்காய் 

மணிவரை அண்ணா நின் திரு உருவில் 

அணி அமராகத்து அலங்களாய் இலங்கி 

நின்படிக்கு எல்லாம் தன்படி ஏற்க 

அன்புடன் நின்னோடு அவதித்தருளி 

வெண்டுறை கேட்டு மீண்டு அவைகேட்பித்து 

ஈண்டிய வினைகள் மாண்டிட முயன்று 

தன்னடி சேர்ந்த தமருணை அணுக 

நின்னுடன் சேர்ந்து நிற்க நின்திருவே

The Priests from Andhra at this Divya Desam

A decade ago, when this Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised temple was going through tough times, the HR & CE,in a first of its kind unprecedented move, roped in two archakas from Andhra Pradesh to carry out the archaka service at this Divya Desam. One such priest is Sesha Bhattar who this evening carried the huge flower garland from the Divine Couple to present to Vedantha Acharya who had positioned himself at the East end of the Thayar Sannidhi. Over a decade later, the ‘Outsider’ tag has been dealt with successfully and the two have made the Deiva Nayakan Perumal temple their own with their sincere and devotional service and have now become an integral part of this Divya Desam. The residents on the North and East streets have a pleasant word or two with Ranga Sai Bhattar who comes along with the Acharya on the procession through these streets (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/08/thiru-vahindrapuram-andhra-priests-10.html).

Following the Vedic presentation, the Kainkaryaparas and the devotees were presented with Sundal and Pongal in front of the Thayar Sannidhi before Vedantha Desikar made his way to the West end of the temple to be mounted on the Hamsa Vahana ahead of the street procession. The traditional kainkaryaparas then made their way to the Thayar Sannidhi to carry Devanathaswamy back to his Sannidhi after providing joint darshan through the evening.

Next Gen Kainkaryam

19 year old Kosagan, son of the renowned Malolo Kannan, is on the verge of completing his Vedic studies and he was there this evening at the temple. In addition to being part of the Vedic presentation, he also carried the Kudai atop his acharya. He told this writer on Tuesday evening that he has been devotionally attached to this Perumal and Acharya right from his childhood and he does not miss an opportunity to perform Kainkaryam here. “In addition to performing Kainkaryam through this utsavam, I am also here every Shravanam for Desikar’s monthly Thiru Nakshatram celebrations”, he said.

An inscription dating to the rule of Kulotunga III refers to a gift of a gold necklace to Deiva Nayagan and another one refers in simple terms to the Lord of Thiru Vahindrapuram as ‘The Standing Vishnu’.

It is almost 8.30pm when the screen opened for devotees to have a first darshan of Vedantha Acharya atop the Hamsa Vahana on this first evening of the Avathara Utsavam. The vedic members have arrived in good numbers and they begin the presentation of the Vedas. 

The Prabhandham members gathered at the West Sannidhi street for the Thodakkam of Muthal Thiruvanthathi. Old time residents had left this historic town in the second half of the previous century seeking greener pastures in bigger cities. Many of them have now rebuilt their old styled homes in mansions some of these like the praise in Thiru Mangai’s verses where he described the sugarcane shoots as growing to the sky similar to the mansions of Thiru Vahindrapuram. 

இருந்தண்  மாநிலம்  ஏனமதாய் வளைமறுப்பினில் அகத்தொடக்கி 

கருந்தன் மா கடல் கண்துயின்றவனிடம்  கமலநன்மலர் தேறலருந்தி 

இன்னிசை முரன்றெழும் அளிகுலம் பொதுளி அம் பொழிலூடே 

செருந்தி நாண் மலர் சென்றணைந் உழிதரு திருவஹீந்திரபுரமே

The temple complex including the Gopurams are lit with colourful lights while the streets have been dotted with white pulli kolam. Each of the residents welcomed Vedantha Desikar into their homes presenting coconuts and flowers as the Vaishnavite Acharya made his way through the West street. 

In the Periya Thirumozhi, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar refers to Thiruvahindrapuram as a place where bees in large numbers drink nectar from the lotus flowers and then sing and dance amid the dense groves around the temple. This was a location where Shenbagam trees were seen in abundance and Mullai creepers waved in the wind. 

A stopover at Desikar's Thirumaligai

As the clock ticked to 9pm, he made his way on to the North street where there were not too many devotees with Thattu. It was a quick procession through the North and East streets as he made his way on to the Sannidhi street. The procession had a stop over at Vedantha Desikar’s Thirumaligai with the Vedic members presenting the verses there. Following this, another round of prasadam was presented.

It is past 9.30pm when Desikar made his way back to the temple with Prabhandham members presenting the Satrumurai of Poigai Azhvaar’s verses. It had been a long evening for the Kainkaryaparas having to manage both the Navarathri utsavam as well as the Avathara Utsavam of Vedantha Desikar. There was a sense of delight among the Vadakalai Kainkaryaparas on this first evening with the opportunity they had been presented with to perform the Kainkaryam at the start of this utsavam.

Thiruvahindrapuram Krishna Desikan (Kannan), currently a resident of Mandaveli in Chennai, is a senior member of the Prabhandham Ghosti. He told this writer that he considers it a great blessing to be an integral part of this utsavam and to present the sacred verses of the azhvaars and the acharya every day.  Earlier in the morning, to kick off the ten day utsavam, the members began their presentation of the Desikar Prabhandham with the Acharya’s verses of praise on the greatness of the Lord of Thiru Vahindrapuram (Mummani Kovai)

ஆரணங்கள் தேட அய்ந்தையில் வந்துதித்த 

காரணராய் நின்ற கடல்வண்ணர் 

நாரணனார் இப்படிக்குமிக்கு அன்று எடுத்த பாதம் கழுவ 

மெய்ப்படிக்கம் ஆனது பொன் வெற்பு

Like many others his generation he too had moved to a city life decades ago, but he is hoping that he would return to his hereditary location sooner than later to spend the next phase of his life here at this Divya Desam where his forefathers had performed Kainkaryam and to recite the sacred verses of the Azhvaars and his Acharya every day of the year. For the moment, he will be spending these ten days of the Avathara Utsavam of the Vadakalai Vaishnavite Acharya at Thiru Vahindrapuram reciting the sacred verses morning and evening of the utsavam. 

(The Chariot procession will take place on the morning of October 1 and Vedantha Acharya's birthday through the day on Thursday October 2)