Sarangapani Koil Kanu Utsavam

For the only time in the year, Vijayavalli Thayar, Sita Thayar and Komalavalli Thayar provide joint darshan at Thiru Kudanthai on the occasion of Thai Kanu

Sita Thayar

It is just past 6.30pm on Friday (Jan 16) and devotees in hundreds have taken their seat opposite the Ramar Sannidhi ahead of the Kanu Utsavam at the Sarangapani Koil in Thiru Kudanthai Divya Desam. It was Sita Thayar from Ramaswamy temple dressed in a beautiful yellow saree who first made it to the Sarangapani Koil through the Western entrance. Shortly after Komalavalli Thayar joined her opposite the Ramar Sannidhi. It is 7pm when Vijayavalli Thayar from Chakrapani temple too made it via the deserted Bazaar street.

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)

                                         

Vijayavalli Thayar

Thirumanjanam and Theerthavari

For over 30 minutes, they witnessed Thirumanjanam by Kannan Bhattachar anointing Thayars with coconut water, manjal, sandalwood paste and a wide-ranging fruits. This was followed by Theerthavari. Soundar Bhattar, Naana Bhattar and Kannan Bhattar then presented Kanu to each of the Thayars in front of the disciplined devotee crowd who sat unmoved through this one hour event. While the local devotees witnessed the Thirumanjanam and Theerthavari, there continued to be a long queue at the moolavar sannidhi. The Northern entrance had been opened a day earlier and devotees thronged the sannidhi for a darshan of Aravamudhan, seen in a Uthaana Sayana posture.

Three Thayars Joint Procession

It is 8.15pm when the three thayars began a joint procession around the temple prakara before positioning themselves in front of Vedantha Desikar for mariyathai to the Vaishnavite Acharya. The huge crowd made their way back after thoroughly enjoying the one of its kind Kanu Utsavam at Thiru Kudanthai collecting prasadam from Soundar Bhattar at the Eastern entrance of the temple. Vijayavalli Thayar and Sita Thayar bid goodbye to Komalavalli Thayar after providing a two hour joint darshan and headed back to their respective temples. 

மாமலர் மன்னிய மங்கை மகிழ்ந்து உறைமார்பினன் தாள் 

தூ மலர் சூடிய தொல்லருள் மாறன் துணை அடிக்கீழ் 

வாழ்வை உனக்கும் இராமானுஜ முனி வன்மை போற்றும் 

சீர்மையன் எங்கள் தூப்புல் பிள்ளை பாதம் என் சென்னியதே

But there was a lot more to come on this Friday evening at the Sarangapani temple. The Prabhandham Ghoshti presented Thiruppavai verses in front of Komalavalli Thayar before she made her way back to her Sannidhi. This was the final day of the Thai Utsavam and while the Kanu Utsavam was on for Thayar, Sarangapani Perumal had been decorated at the Kannadi Arai ahead of the last procession.

It is almost 9.30pm when he made his way to the eastern entrance where the Prabhandham members began the presentation of Ramanuja Nootranthathi. While they continued their recital after the Thodakkam sitting in front of the Dwajasthambam, Sarangapani Perumal made his way on a quiet procession in contrast with the Chariot procession the previous day and the noisy events filled Garuda Vahana procession last Saturday. A few local residents came out of their homes to present coconut and flowers.

The young Maniyakarar of the temple, Sudarshan, who also doubles up as the archaka at the Desikar Sannidhi, went ahead of the procession to open the Ramanuja temple west of the theppakulam. Sarangapani made a brief half here even as the Sripatham members brought the utsava deity of Ramanuja from inside the temple to the Bazaar street for mariyathai before he continued on to the Big Street.

செழுந்திரை பாற்கடல் கண் துயில் மாயன் 

திருவடிக்கீழ்  விழுந்திருப்பார் நெஞ்சில் மேவு  

நல் ஞானி நல் தேவியர்கள் 

தொழும் திருப்பாதன் ராமானுஜனைத் தொழும் பெரியோர் 

எழுந்து இறைத்து ஆடும் இடம் அடியேனுக்கு இருப்பிடமே 

10pm on Friday and the streets around the Sarangapani temple reminded one of Thiru Kudanthai in the decades gone by – silent with most residents having gone to sleep. Back at the temple, the Prabhandham members presented the Satru Murai verses of Ramanuja Nootranthanthi. While the utsava deity Sarangapani was enjoying the final verses of these verses of Thiru Arangath Amuthanar, back at the Moolavar Aravamudhan Sannidhi, Soundararaja Bhattar, along with his young son who will soon be completing his Vedic and Agama studies, were busy putting Perumal’s jewellery back in the security box.

It is a long tradition for the greatness of the Utsavam to be read out on this final day of the ten day Thai utsavam. Late on Friday evening, Kannan Bhattachar presented ‘padippu’ detailing the events during the utsavam recalling how Sarangapani perumal had provided darshan in different vahanas through this festival following which the flag was brought down bringing to end another edition of the Thai Utsavam at Thiru Kudanthai.