The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Devotees brave rain and chill to celebrate ‘Vaikunda Ekadasi’

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Friday, Dec 21, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Devotees brave rain and chill to celebrate ‘Vaikunda Ekadasi’

Madurai Bureau

Opening of Paramapadha Vaasal ceremony held in temples across the districts

— Photo: G. Karthikeyan

Graceful: Sri Soundararaja Perumal coming out of the Paramapadha Vaasal at Thadikombu in Dindigul on Thursday.

SRIVILLIPUTTUR: Thousands of devotees witnessed the opening of the ‘paramapatha vaasal’ on the occasion of the ‘Vaikunda Ekadasi’ at the Sri Andal Temple here on Thursday.

Along with the presiding deities, Andal and Rengamannar, Periya Perumal passed through the ‘paramapatha vaasal’ as it opened at 7.45 a.m.

The Azhwars performed the ‘ethir sevai.’

The devotees entered the ‘vaasal’ with a belief of attaining ‘moksha.’

The urchava moorthys were taken through the Mada streets and Kanthadai streets before they were kept at the ‘raapathu’ mandapam for the devotees to have darshan. The temple Executive Officer, K. Rajamanickam, was present.

Dindigul

Braving sharp showers, devotees celebrated Vaikunda Ekadasi with religious fervour in all Perumal temples in Dindigul and Theni districts in the wee hours of Thursday.

Special pujas and abishekam were performed to the main deity and utsavamurhty at Sri Soundararaja Perumal at Thadikombu, 10 km away from here. Later, the aesthetically-decorated utsavamurthy was taken in a procession around the main prakaram.

With chanting of hymns by Battachariyars and banging of percussion instruments, Lord Soundararaja Perumal passed through the Paramapadha vaasal at an auspicious time and reached kolu mandapam for public darshan. Devotees who waited inside the temple too came through the Paramapadha vaasal and had a darshan of the Lord.

Special pujas were also performed to the main deity.

Severe rain affected festivities at several places.

Crowd was moderate at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple near the Rock Fort in Dindigul.

Devotees directly entered into the maha mandapam without waiting in a long queue to have darshan. Rainwater flooded the backyard of the temple.

Vaikunda Ekadasi festival was celebrated at Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple at Nagal Nagar, Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple at Ranganathapuram, Sri Narayanaswamy Temple in Palani and Sri Kambaraya Perumal at Cumbum.

Hundreds of devotees witnessed the opening of Paramapadha vaasal ceremony, as part of the festival.

Already Raapathu and Pagalpathu utsavs have commenced in all Perumal temples from the first of Margazhi month.

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