28th March 2016-Panguni Anusham was the second day of Pallava utsavam at Kanchi Varadaraja Perumal koil. Pranatharthihara Varadan and Varadan with ubhayanachimars came in purappadu to the hundred-pillar mandapam and Tiruvaradhanam took place. The swami who did the sthalapurana reading stood before Perumal wearing parivettam and garland and started reading by 11.00a.m.
Brahma got ready for the ashvamedha and sent word to Saraswathi his wife to join him as the wife is necessary to do a yagyam. Saraswathi and Brahma were separated at that point of time as Lakshmi devi was declared to be greater than Saraswathi and this angered her so she went to meditate. Saraswathi refused to join Brahma and the risis asked Brahma to do the yagyam with Savithri. Asuras wanted to disrupt the yagyam so they went and told Saraswathi about Savitri. Angered she came gushing as Vegavathi and Sriman Narayana stopped her flow by lying on her way. Saraswathi repented and joined Brahma. This was the gist of today’s reading in which all ten avatharams were covered.
Then at about 2.00 the ceremony of offering ‘gandham’ (perfumes) in the form of sandalpaste, saffron paste, rose water, perfumed flowers like jasmines and roots like kuruvi-ver and dhavanam and pallavam were offered to Perumal. New beds of velvet and silk were laid and the curtains closed. Evening at about 6.00 yagyam was performed in an enclosure in the yagyasala and everyone assembled to witness the opening of the seven screens at the 100 pillared mandapam. The curtains were of red silk and the bhattars holding them were a picture of dignity. Kama, krodha, moha, lobha, madha, matsarya and ahamkaram are the seven barriers separating us from Perumal and as we conquer them we reach Him.
The panchanga patanam was done followed by Tiruaradhanai, Theertham, Srisathari and prasada viniyogam. Pranatharthiharan ascended the flower bedecked palanquin and travelled to ‘kanadi-arai’. Perumal along with ubhaya nachimars went in purapadu on Sannidhi Street before returning to the temple.
To view the previous day Utsavam please visit: Pallava Utsavam At Kanchi Sri Devarajaswami Temple – Day 1
The following are the photos taken during the Utsavam:
Photos: Sri Krishna Durai, Sri Tirumundi Krishnan, Sri Thoopullkulamanievr, Write – up: Smt Vyjayanthi Rajan
