🕉Today is the Divine #AadiPooram - Goddess Andal’s Birth & Celebration of Her marriage to Lord Ranganathaswamy, Srirangam 🙏
Goddess Andal -An incarnation of Sri Bhu Devi, a divine girl child appeared under Tulasi plant in Vishnuchithar's (Periyazhwar’s) garden on this day🚩1
🕉 He was pleasantly surprised and picked up the divine child, his wife Vrajai was also overwhelmed with joy and they both named her "Kothai".
Periyazhwar brought her up in simple, godly surroundings natural to a pious, Vedic Brahmin family🚩2/12
🕉 The child prodigy thus fostered lovingly grew into a beautiful maiden & became an embodiment of love for Sri Krishna. Being a devotee of "Sri Vadabhatrasayee", presiding deity of Srivilliputhur Mandir, Vishnuchithar would weave a garland of flowers& tulasi leaves daily🚩3/12
🕉 He kept it sacredly rolled in a flower basket so that he may, after attending to his normal chores, take the garland later to the temple for offering to the Lord.The child “Kothai” in her profound innocence would take out the garland daily without her father's knowledge 🚩4/12
🕉 She adorned herself,looking into the mirror to satisfy herself whether she was suitable bride to Lord & then would remove the garland & replace it in the basket in its original form. This was going on for days 🚩5/12
🕉 & without actually knowing that his daughter had adorned the garland around herself, Vishnuchithar would offer this to the deity who wore it beatifically. One day to his surprise, Vishnucithar saw her wearing the garland before he could take it to the temple🚩6/12
🕉 He was shocked for he considered this as a great defilement. He fasted that day & did not offer the garland and was all repentant. But lo! What a surprise? At night, the Lord appearing in his dreams asked, why you did not offer me the tulasi garland today? 🚩7/12
🕉 I am ever eager to have the things touched by my devotee. Think not Andal Kothai to be a mere mortal.”
To his wonder Vishnuchithar found that tulasi garland on the previous day worn by Andal had not faded. But, was fresher than a freshly made garland 🚩8/12
🕉 Thereafter, he offered the garland to the deity after being worn by Andal. The Lord continued to give his darshan”.Even today, this practice is observed at Srivilliputhur Temple
She got the name "Andal" since she had won over the heart of Lord (Andu in Tamil -win over)🚩9/12
🕉On Andal’s marriageable age,her father Vishnuchithar was worried to find a match as she would not marry anyone except Lord Krishna.Vishnuchithar narrated all KALYANA GUNAS of all Archa-Murthis of the 108 Sri Vaishnava Kshetras,so that she may for herself choose the deity🚩10/12
🕉When she heard of the Soundarya of Lord Sri Ranganathar,with tears of joy, she prayed to HIM to come & accept. Vishnuchithar, knowing not what to do, meditated.Sri Ranganathar spoke in his dream: "Do not hesitate to offer your daughter to Me, for she is Bhudevi herself."🚩11/12
🕉King Vallabhadeva with his retinue joined the procession from Srivilliputhur to Srirangam with Sri Andal in a palanquin.
Sri Andal entered the inner shrine of Sri Ranganathar, praying merged with the eternal lustrous light of Sri Ranganatha in presence of the gathering🚩12/12
🕉 #Navratri DAY 1: MAA SHAILAPUTRI
Goddess Durga is worshipped in 9 different forms as Nava Durga. Each God has a different form & a special significance.
Lord Brahma gives these nine names of Nava Durgā in Devi Mahatmyam 🙏#JaiMataDi 1/6
🕉 NAVADURGA - 1/9
MAA SHAILAPUTRI
"Shail" means mountains and “Putri" means daughter, is the first Nava Durga. Parvathi, the daughter of the King of Mountains, married to Lord Shiva after performing a severe penance 🚩 2/6
🕉 In her previous birth she was the daughter of Daksha Prajapathi. In order to marry Bhagwan Mahadev she sacrificed her life in Yagna Vatika to incarnate as Maa Shailaputri.
Moon is believed to be the provider of all fortunes and is governed by Goddess Shailaputri 🚩3/6
🕉#RamNavami Darshan :
One of the Most beautiful Bhagwan RamJi temples:
16thCentury Stunning VijayanagaraEra Sri Malyavanta Raghunathaswamy Hill temple, #Hampi#Karnataka built around a boulder.Bhagwan RamJi/LakshmanJi stayed here in Rainyseason,in their search for Ma Sita🚩1/5
🕉 2. Bhagwan Rama & Lakshmana were looking for a shelter during monsoon season. Lord Rama aimed an arrow in the Malyavanta hill direction & there is still A cleft on the boulder atop the Malyavanta Hill is caused by the arrow🚩
🕉 3. Malyavantha Rama Temple has images of the deities are carved on the face of a massive boulder. Bhagwan Rama & Lakshmana are sitting posture, Ma Sita is standing next to them & HanumanJi in a kneeling posture with great devotion 🚩
🕉 #Pongal#MakaraSankranthi 4day festival in #TamilNadu
Bhagwan God Surya enters 'MakaraRashi' frm 'DhanuRashi' -1st day of Holy Uttarayana
Period
Day 1: Bhogi
Day 2: Thai Pongal
Day 3: Maattu Pongal
Day 4: Kaanum Pongal #Pongal is celebrated from last day of Margazhi 🚩1/6
🕉 2. Bhogi-celebrated on the last day of Margazhi by discarding old clothes/materials, setting them on fire, marking end of the old & emergence of the new. In villages there will be a simple ceremony of 'neem' leaves kept along walls & roof of houses to eliminate evil forces 🚩
🕉 3. Thai Pongal - 1st day of Tamil month Thai starts with the solar cycle when sun starts moving towards the summer solstice -Uttarayana. It is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk & jaggery in new pots, topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts & raisins early morning 🚩
🕉 Today #VaikuntaEkadashi is Margashirsha Shukla Paksha Ekadashi in Lunar calendar #MokshadaEkadashi Vaikunta Dwar-Gate to Lord's Inner Sanctum’ is opened today. Vishnu Purana says fasting on #VaikunthaEkadashi is equal to fasting on rest of 23 Ekadashis of Hindu year🚩
🕉 2. Padma Purana says Devas, unable to bear the tyranny of Demon Muran approached Bhagwan Shiva, who sent them to Bhagwan Vishnu. In the Battle between Lord Vishnu & the demon,Bhagwan realized that a new weapon was needed to slay Muran🚩
🕉3.When Muran tried to slay Bhagwan Vishnu, who was resting to make the new Weapon, the female power that emerged from Bhagwan burned Muran to ashes with her glance. Bhagwan Vishnu pleased, named her Goddess #Ekadashi 🚩
🕉Today is Famous #GuruvayurEkadashi 5,000yrs Guruvayurappan Temple, #Kerala
The Abode of Bhagawan Krishna as seen by parents VasudevJi & Devaki at His Birth.The Ancient Main Murthy is made of highly powerful stone -Patala Anjanama having healing & miraculous properties🚩1/4
🕉Ancient Guruvayur temple in built in typical Kerala Temple architecture- On Kerala NewYear Vishu,Sun’s rays fall on Lord Guruvayurappan’s Feet & Lord can be seen from Entrance.Bhagawan Krishna stands with 4 hands carrying Shankh-conch,Chakra- discus,Gadha-Mace&Padma-lotus🚩2/4
🕉Lord Krishna asked 2 sages to take this Murthy created by Lord Vishnu from Dwarka Temple while Dwaraka was being destroyed &install it in Kerala.Lord Krishna’s Murthy was brought by VayuDeva & Brihaspati & placed in Guruvayur -merger of both names-Guru -Brihaspati & Vayu🚩3/4
🕉 Divine #Narayaneeyam Day 🙏 #Guruvayur Temple
It was on the 28th of Malayalam month Vrishchikam, Bhagawan’s ardent devotee Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri - had completed Sreemad Narayaneeyam with 1036 shlokas & offered to Bhagawan Guruvayurappan 🚩1/6
🕉 Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was the student of Achyuta Pisharadi. While his Guru was afflicted with rheumatism, Bhattathiri transferred the ailment to his own body through his yogic powers & cured his Guru. This was his Guru Dakshina🚩2/6
🕉 Afterwards Melpathur suffered a lot due to this disease & Ezhuthachan, author of Killipattu Ramayanam, advised Melpathur to go to Guruvayur Temple & then – 'Meen Thottu Kootuga' – the translation means ‘start with tasting fish’ in Malayalam 🚩3/6