Kanchi Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple Vaikasi Brahmotsavam – Day 4

May 24, 2016

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Durmukhi Vaikasi Anusham (22nd May 2016) was the fourth day of Vaikasi Brahmotsavam at Kanchi Varadaraja Perumal koil. At 5.00 a.m. Varadan and His Consorts were brought to the vahana mandapam. They got ready in an hour’s time and Perumal was seated with one Foot hanging and the other folded on the huge silver Sesha vahanam. He was flanked on either side by Sridevi and Bhudevi. When Perumal was behind the screen He listened to the beautiful notes of instrumental music played by the band. Devotees waiting to have darsan were soothed by the music and a little boy about 2 years stood near them and danced.

Perumal’s Tirukaram (hand) pointed to His Feet indicating That Redemption is possible if we surrender at His Feet. For a prappana the Tirukolam of Paramapadanathan presented a picture of their final Destination.

Now to come to the vahanam of the day Sesha vahanam. Sesha is a nityasuri whose name is Ananthan. Continuous kainkaryam (services) to SrimanNarayana is His quality. When Perumal moves Sesha holds his hoods like an umbrella, when He is seated Sesha becomes a seat, when He walks Sesha becomes His footwear, and when He reclines Sesha becomes His bed. As Paramapadanathan left in purappadu after the kulukal (big shake) devotees offered dandavath pranams. The Arulicheyal goshti recited ‘pallandu’ and devotees prayed for their Deva-perumal’s safe journey. The Veda gosham followed Him all along the route with their ‘Veda rakshai’. A little infront of the 16 pillared mandapam on Sannidhi Street ‘kodai seruthal’ that is the propping of two new umbrellas took place. So Perumal had the two umrellas above His Head, next layer of head- protection was by the hoods of Sesha and the prabhai provided the third layer. As the four priests along with little kids in tiruman left Tiruvadi koil devotees craned their necks to see the white umbrellas fade from their view.

Durmukhi Vaikasi Anusham (May 22nd 2016) evening Varadan and His Consorts ascended the Chandra prabhai vahanam. At about 5.00 p.m They emerged from the kanadi-arai mandapam on Tholukuiniyan. They were all dressed in white silk and wore pearl crowns. Varadan donned the ‘muthu-pandian kondai’. White was the dominant colour because Varadachandran would be doing His evening rounds in the silver Chandra prabhai. As the procession crossed the 16 pillared mandapam the umbrella offerings happened and the two spotless white umbrellas with red fringes added to the theme of the evening-white. Coolness is Chandran’s special quality and this can mean coldness and calmness. Who is not happy on seeing the full moon? The antharatma for every living being is Narayana and every god (devatha) gets powers by His sankalpam.

The devotees present in Kanchi were spellbound on seeing their beloved Varadan and couldn’t stop uttering ‘Varada Varada’, can there be anyone more Beautiful than You? After tirumbukkal ‘Nel-alavu’ took place. This is a ceremony where paddy is measured infront of Perumal with His Nachimars and is a kind of stock taking. The paddy is distributed to devotees who keep it in their rice container. It was late night when the day’s utsavam was over and preparations started for the next morning purappadu. But then Kanchi nagaram doesn’t sleep during Brahmotsavam.

To view the previous days Utsavam please visit:

The following are the photos taken during the Utsavam:

Morning – Sesha Vahanam