Utsavams of Sri Sridevi Sri Bhudevi Sri Vedavalli Samedha Sri Neela Varna Perumal.
Purattasi Sravana Utsavam - Garuda Vaahanam
Sri Neela Varna Perumal atop his Garuda Vaahanam on Purattasi Sravanam Purappadu - Moolavar in Sri Venkatachalapathi Alankaram.
Sri Purattasi Sravana Mahatmiyam
The purattsai Sravanam day is the birth star of Sri Venkateshwara of Thirupathi - Since Sri Neelavarna Perumal is considered as Thirupathi Venkateshwara himself, this is also the birth star of Sri Neelavarna Perumal.
The Purattasi Sravanam day is extremely important as Acharya Sri Swami Desikan was born in this star 800 years ago in Thoopul - Kancheepuram.
In Nanmangalam, the perumal mounts his Garuda Vaaham and in the evening - he is taken in procession around the entire village blessing one and all.
In the night - the entire village comes to the temple and the Lord Sri Neelavarna Perumal holds his durbar with the Hari Katha Kalakshepam.
At the end of the Hari Katha Kalakshepam - the haarathi of Perumal is taken atop the pillar tied opposite to the temple - It is believed that Sri Mahalakshmi does penance and joins Sri Neelavarna Perumal standing on top of this Stamba or Pillar - and hence - the haarathi is shown from this top of Pillar to the entire Village and both Sriman Narayana and Sri Mahalakshmi bless the entire village.
This festival is peculiar to this village and is known by the local name of 'Thavootsavam' as Sri Mahalakshmi does Thavam in this month of Mahalayam or Purattasi.
Annakkoodai Utsavam
Sri Sridevi Sri Bhudevi Samedha Sri Neelavarna Perumal - Utsavar and Sri Aandal Kannan ( Sri Govardhana Nesan ) in the front.
Sri Rajagopalan Battar swami doing the Annakooda utsavam to Perumal
Sri Swami Neivedhyam in progress - The food is blessed by Lord Sri Hari Vishnu now
Annakooda Utsava Mahatmiyam
The food is cooked and served steaming hot - with the steam coming out from the rice. This steam absorbs the divine blessing and the Varaprasadha shakthi emanating from the Lord and gets blessed. This food is then distributed as Anna Dhaanam to the devotees - and hence, when the true devotee consumes this food - Sriman Narayana himself gets into the devotees mind and body and ushers health, wealth and prosperity.
Sri Sridevi Sri Bhudevi samedha Sri Neelavarna Perumal - background.
Sri Andal samedha Sri Govardhana Nesan ( Sri Krishna ) in froeground.
Vaikunta Ekadasi Utsavam
Moolavar Sri Sridevi Sri Bhudevi samedha Sri NeelavarnaPerumal - Sandhana Alankaram - Vikruthi varusha Vaikunta Ekadasi - Nanmangalam, Chennai
Utsava Moorthy - Sri Sridevi Sri Bhudevi samedha Sri Neelavarna Perumal - Vikruthi varusha Vaikunta Ekadasi day - Naachiyar Alankaram
Vaikunta Ekadesi Mahatmiyam
Perumal's Vaikunta Ekadasi is special in this kshetram as Nammalwar, who was born 5000 years ago in this earth, and sung 1000 divine verses and also gave the 4000 Divya Prabandham songs - the translation of Vedas in Tamil language - attained the divine feet of Sriman Narayana - Samaadhi on Vaikunta Ekadasi day - this day 5000 years ago, the Lord came to receive the young SadhGopan ( Nammalwar ) opening the gates of heaven at Sri Vaikunta and hence to commemorate this event, even today, Sri Nammalwar awaits the Lord early in the morning outside the temple - the Lord opens the Sri Vaikunta Gates ( Vaikunta Vaasal ) and comes to receive his beloved devotee Sri Nammalwar - it is a belief that who ever are following Sri Nammalwar on that time is also ushered Sri Vaikuntam in the after life. Hence this day is called Vaikunta Ekadasi.
The Puranas celebrate this day as a very important day for the Lord Sriman Narayana.
The importance of this day is given as follows:
1) Sri Krishna says he is like the month Maargahzhi ( December 14 - January 14 ) in the monthly calendar - so this month is auspicious to Lord Sriman Narayana who is Sri Krishna.
2) Ekadasi is the day auspicious to Lord Sriman Narayana ( Sri Venkateshwara swamy )
3) Vaikunta Ekadasi is the day when Sri Nammalwar attained Moksham and reached the divine feet of Sriman Narayana at Sri Vaikunta.
4) Vaikunta Ekadasi is the first Ekadasi of the start of the Days for the Devas timeperiod.
5) Vaikunta Ekadasi falls in Maargahzhi which is also the month of Thiruppavai which is the song of Mahalakshmi's incarnation - Andal ( Sri Godha Devi ).
The proper way to practice upavasam in Vaikunta Ekadasi is mentioned in several puranic texts as well as given by various Acharyas of Srivaishnava lineage. Adiyen, by perumal's grace has put up a laghu ( easy ) way of practicing this great Vrata for this age.
1) The devotee, should bath, wear a clean cloth and have the SriChoorna and Thiruman kaappu ( Divine symbols in forehead ) for the Lord Sriman Narayana.
2) The devotee must not speak anything other than the mantra of 'Om Namo Narayanaya' and 'Sriman Narayana Charanou Charanam Prapadye Srimathe Narayanaya Namaha' in his mind and observe silence ( Mouna Vrata ) the entire day.
3) The devotee should reach the temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara ( or any of Sriman Narayana's temple ) early in the morning before 4:00 a.m.
4) The devotee should first have the dharshan of Swami Sri Nammalwar and then stand behind the deity of Sri Nammalwar and focus one's attention on the gates of Vaikunta Dwara.
5) On the exact time of the opening of Sri Vaikunta Dwara and having the dharshan of Sriman Narayana - the devotee must first think of the great devotees like Prahaladha, Dhruva, Naaradha, Gajendra, Ambareesha and then only think of Sri Krishna and his Geetopadesam.
6) The devotee must then pray for the mercy of Lord Sriman Narayana, and pray that the devotee must follow the path of Sri Nammalwar shown in his divine 4000 divya prabandham and try learning it as much as possible within this life and wish for the grace of Acharya Sri Ramanuja and Sri Nammalwar to attain their feet - so that they could guide the devotee to attain the feet of Lord Sriman Narayana.
7) The devotee after this - should listen to the Thiruppavai and at least the 10 songs in praise of Nammalwar by Sri Madhura Kavi Alwar, the 'Kanninum Siru Thaambu' part of the 4000 divya prabandhams.
8) The devotee should politely ask for the permission to depart from the temple from the Lord Sriman Narayana and Sri Nammalwar and head back to the house.
9) If there was any prasad offered in the temple, then the devotee could consume it in a very small proportion and donate the rest to the needy and poor whom he finds that day.
10) While returning back to the house - the devotee must get the Aamla ( Nellikkai ) and Hummingbird tree leaf ( Agaththi keerai - sanskrit - Aghasti ).
11) That entire day, the devotee must sit down politely next to the imagery/photo/idle of Lord Sriman Narayana in a silent place, not disturbed by anyone and closing one's eyes should think for each hour on each of the Avatars of Sriman Narayana - if you could get the Srimadh Bhaagavatam book - then it is a good idea.
12) Night - some devotees go fasting without even taking water, but some say, powdered rice could be taken by those who are sick, old age and children - so, those below 13 years of age, or sick or those above 75 years of age, if they could not go on without food, could take some rice upma without any chutney and go to sleep in the floor - without having any mat and keeping a wooden block or hand as support for head in the floor.
The next day morning is Dwadasi - the day to end fasting.
13) The devotee should get up early - bath and without taking coffee or any food, should head to the temple straight.
14) After having the dharshan of the Lord Sriman Narayana, the devotee should pray and end his Vrata in the temple, by consuming the holy water offered as 'Theertham' after the morning Aaradhanai in the temple.
15) Thus ending the fast, the devotee could now return back to his/her house - and cook the Aamla and hummingbird tree leaf along with rice and consume them in his food - note this is important as Sriman Narayana is said to be present in Aamla - and Aamla is a great cooling agent - and hence reduces the heat build up in the body and brings the system back to normal.
The Hummingbird tree leaf ( Agaththi Keerai ) is a fantastic anti-acidic agent which neutralizes the acid formed inside the stomach during the fasting.
It is expected that all Vishnu devotees do the Ekadasi vratam every month on the 11th day of the lunar calendar ( ie after every new moon and full moon day ) - but those who could not do that - could even get the same result by following the instructions above and performing the fasting Vrata on Vaikunta Ekadasi day - the Vaikunta Ekadasi is said to be equivalent to 100 normal Ekadasis.
Praying to the Lotus feet of Sri Ramanuja - Adiyen - Sri Ramanuja Daasan - Vijayaraghavan
