The celebration and participation in the annual Vaikuntha Ekadasi festival, it is strongly believed, will bestow on devotees liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Normally, a preponderance of devout Hindus aspire for salvation upon death - free from the burden they have to put up all through their life till the final end - never ending sea-saw battle of pain and suffering, death and birth and failure and success. In reality, the edit of god can never be surpassed.
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| Sri Andal temple with chariot, Srivilliputhur. timescontent.com |
For unknown reasons, (reasons given are quite conflicting) Vaikuntha Ekadasi festival of 2021 - 21 took place on different dates. As per Vaishnava Samprathayam, this important and auspicious event - Soorgvassal Thirappu or paramapada vassal thirappu, traversing of processional deity Namperumal through the gate will take place during the same time at all temples.
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| Parthasarathi temple, Chennai.livechennai.com |
Above image: Old one. Sri Parthasarathi temple, Thiruvallikeni, Chennai, TN. Soorga vaasal thirappu/opening of Heaven's gate; the palanquin bearing the god is being carried by young devotees........
This year at popular Ranganathar temple, Srirangam, Tamil Nadu this festival took place between 3 to 24 of December 2021. The paramapada vassal was opened on 14 December in the early morning 4.45 am and the lord appeared on a golden palanquin carried by parampara Vaishnva devotees. Only limited devotees were allowed for this event; later doors were kept open for the limited number of devotees for a couple of hours or so. The Thirumangai Mannan Vedupari event, as part of the festival, was held on December 21 2021 and soon followed by the final event on the 21st day. Nammazhwar Moksham on December 24. In 2021, this schedule was followed by a few temples across Tamil Nadu.
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| Vaikuntha Ekadasi Parthasarathi temple, Chennai. upload.wikimedia.org |
Above image: old image. Sri Parthasarathi temple, Chennai........
Whereas in other famous Vaishnava temples like Sri Andal- Vedapatrasayee temple of Srivilliputhur, Parthasarathy temple (Triplicane), Madhava Perumal temple of Mylapore, Chennai, etc this long festival goes beyond the poplar ''Pongal festival'' (Mahara Sankaranthi) in 2022. It is a rare festival event ending in January..
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| Namazhwar Moksham Thiruvadi seva.Srirangam.thehindu.com |
Above image: Revered Vaishnava saint Nammazhwar (born: 3059 BCE) is placed at the Paadam (feet) of Lord Vishnu (Namperumal), making his moksham- salvation. This event takes place on the 21 day of Ekadasi at Srirangam. At Sri Andal temple of Srivilliputhur, there is no tradition of Namazhwar moksham (Thiruvaadi Savai). Here, in the Pagal pathu and Ra pathu events / seva by Ariyars, the theme will be focused on Andal's early life and her childhood pranks.........
At Srirangam the ritual signifying Moksham (liberation/ salvation) is performed for an hour in the morning. The idol of Nammazhwar will be taken out and placed at the holy feet of Namperumal, marking the end of the 20-day Vaikunta Ekadasi festival implying the great saint merged with the lord. Namperumal (processional deity)will be taken from Tirumamani mandapam and reached the sanctum sanctorum at 10 a.m.
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| .Sri Andal and Vadapatra sayee, Srivilliputhur.maalaimalar.com/ |
Above image : Sri Andal temple, Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu. old image.........
At Andal temple, the paramapada vassal was opened around 7.35 am to day (13 January 2022) and this festival will come to an end on completion of 10 day Ra pathu event - Seva by Ariyars on 23 January 2022.
In view of persistent COVID -19 third wave that is spreading at fast phase, several Indian states have announced strict restriction of devotees inside the temples and other places of worships like churches and mosques; the risk involved is way high due to large gathering of devotees.
In the local Vishnu temples here at Thanjavur city, the sorgavassal event took place in the morning before 7.45 am - at Sri Venkatewswara Perumal Kovil, Kaliyuga Peurumal Kovil, etc. This will be followed by 10 day Rapathu event here without Ariyar Seva. Likewise, there is no Nammazhwar Moksham event in all these temples.
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2020/01/vaikuntha-ekadasi-festival-at.html
