On 25th december 2011 “Sri Paadukasahasra Mahotsavam” is scheduled to happen at Sri Venugopala Krishnaswamy Temple, Malleswaram, Bangalore. All are invited to this special occasion and get the blessings of “Swami Desikan”.
Glimpse of earlier “Sri Paadukasahasra Mahotsavam”
On 25th December, 2009 about 350o bhagavadas got to witness the “Sri Paadukasahasra Mahotsavam” for the second time in consecutive years at Sri Venugopala Krishnaswamy Temple, Malleswaram, Bangalore. This Utsavam has been conducted under the auspices of Sri U.Ve. Dr. M.V.Ananthapadmanabha Swamy, organized by his “Panchajanyam Trust” and his “Saran Sevaks”. The Mahotsavam was graced by eminent scholars and exponents of Sri Vaishnavite Philosophy – Sri.U.Ve.Villur Karunakaran Swamy, Sri U.Ve. Elaiyavalli Bhuvaraha Swamy, Sri U.Ve. Sridharachariar Swamy – just to name a few. The Archaka Goshti headed by Sridhara Narayana Bhattar and Sri Madhava Narasimha Bhattar (a.k.a Sri Babu Bhattar) have performed this grand Utsavam giving a great experience to all those who were at the venue. Sri U.Ve.Villur Karunakaran Swamy termed this as “PAdukAsahasra Maha Yagnam”.
Unlike last year, several closed circuit TVs have been installed in the temple premises, so that everyone could witness SrimanNarayana with Ubhaya Nachimars along with Sri Nammazhwar seated at Perumal’s Thiruvadi receiving the Paduka Sahasra Vinnappam. Like last year, the Utsavam began with a purappadu for Sri Emberuman with Ubhaya Nachimar and Swamy Nammazhwar. Emberuman sends in a “Niyamanam” to Swamy Desikan to compose the “PAdukA Sahasram” through his Mala Mariyadai. Swamy Desikan then arrives at the Sannidhi. He receives the “Ahvana tambulam” from Emberuman. and settles in front of the Emberuman and his PAdukA (Swamy Nammazhwar). Sri Parivattam is then adorned to Swamy Desikan. Panchajanyam Trust has arranged for several silver Paadukas which were also placed at Perumal’s thiruvadi.
Archaka Swamy then adorns the parivattam to all the Adhyapakas present at the event, and they invoke the recitation of “PAdukA Sahasram” as a “niyamanam” from the Almighty himself. Nearly 3000 people recited the entire PAdukA Sahasram on that day in a single tone. During one Paddati, there was a power outage with microphones/ speakers were off for a few minutes – but the parayanam still continued and we could hear “PAduka Sahasra Ghosham” from all around the premises and what an experience it was!!
For each of 32 Paddatis in PAdukA Sahasram, Archakar has done 32 thiru arAdhanams. For every paddati, Emberuman’s archanai was done with a different flower. A different variety of fruit and a different kind of thiruppaniyaaram was offered to Emberuman for Nivedanam. 32 different varieties of fruits – some of them fetched from Mysore and Chennai because of non-availability in Bangalore – were cut before nivedanam. Jack Fruit was offered dipped in honey. “Wood Apple” or “velAmbazham” was offered mixed with Jaggery – just as the way they are consumed. The colour of the pushpam for each paddati was carefully chosen according to the name of the paddati. 18 types of sweets and 14 types of “khara” thiruppaniyarams were offered for the 32 paddatis.
In one of the Slokams (Nirveda Paddati – 31, slokam 19, #969), Swamy Desikan pleads Emberuman that he comes to be known as “Paaduka Sevaka”, by those who are engrossed in the nithya kainkaryam of the Sri Ranganatha. Swamy paused the recitation just before the slokam, explained the significance of the same. The Slokam was recited, and the title was conferred to Swamy Desikan by a special Mala Mariyadai and Sri Satari from Emberuman amidst Mangala Vadyams.
The concluding Phalapaddati was recited when Swamy Desika was in “Kaithala Sevai” (He was carried by Archakars on their hands) and taken around EmberumAn. After every slokam, Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy announced the arulappadu outlining life time events of Swamy Desikan. (“Swami Hechcharikai, arulappAdu sarvathanthra swathantrarAna Thooppul nigamAntha mahA Desikan” and so on). During this Sevai, Swamy Desikan was conferred with titles “KavithArkika simham” and “sarva thantra swathantran” before he attained the Thiruvadi. Thanks to the grace of the Archaka Goshti, Swami Desikan has given his darshanam to all sides while on the Kaithala Sevai. We got his sevai from all the directions and in all the CCTVs, so that the event was done at a slow pace and peacefully despite the huge crowd. At the moment of the “Thiru adi Thozhal” there was “Pushpa Vrishti” – raining flowers of different colours. It was a great sight to witness the “pushpa vrishti”, and then the “Darshan” of Swami Desikan at the feet of Nammazhwar, who was at the feet of Emberuman amidst colourful flowers. It was both an emotional and the delightful moment for everyone present at the event. The entire event took about 7 hours, and everyone present at the event can endorse that it was a different experience altogether.
The Utsavam concluded with thadeeyaradhanam, where all the participants got Bhagavath prasadam. The 32 “bhakshnams” divided into sweets and savouries, and the 32 types of cut fruits offered at the end of each paddati mixed together to be the “dvAthrimshAmrutham” were the highlights of the thadeeyaradhanam – apart from the temple arrangements to prepare enough prasadam for all the 3500 BhakthAs. The silver padukas offered to Emberuman were given away to special donors for nithya thiruaradhanam at their residences. By Swamy Desikan’s anugraham, the “Mahothsavam” concluded in a grand style and Swamy Ananthapadmanabhan said that this has more or less become an annual event at the temple. He also said that if the response for the event takes larger proportions, the temple is ready to perform the Utsavam in the nearby Malleswaram Grounds. This Utsavam is certainly first of its kind, and it is gaining popularity with larger participation this year.
