On December 24th, the Vaikunta Ekadasi day, Sri Sri Swamiji presented certificates to the Vidhyarthis of Sri CCVV Trust, Coimbatore.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati - Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Veda Vidya Trust was founded by Brahmasri Jambunatha Ganapatigal and was inaugurated by HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji back in May 2003. Since then the trust has been imparting Vedic Education to numerous students.
This year, the students who had successfully graduated in the 'Krama' Paata and 'Ghana' Paata were awarded certificates by the Trust. The award ceremony was conducted at Madhurapuri Ashram on Vaikunta Ekadasi day in the august presence of Madhuri Sakhi Sametha Sri Premika Varada Thakurji and HH Sri Sri Swamiji.
Brahmasri Jambunatha Ganapatigal received honor and Prasad from Sri Swamiji, followed by which Sri Sri Swamiji awarded certificates to 13 students who had graduated in Krama and Ghana Paata. The Vidhyaarthis also received Prasadams from Sri Swamiji.
On Monday, August 23rd, Sri Madhuri Saki sammetha Sri Premika Varada Thakurji enjoyed Theppotsav in an 'Annapakshi Naava Vaahana' amidst dark overcast clouds and some fortunate devotees. Sri Swamiji offered harathi to Thakurji. At His behest, Bhagavatas sang Kirtans extolling the Divine Couple. After the Theppotsav Thakurji returned to Bhagavatha Bhavanam in a palanquin amidst chanting of 'Jai Jai Govinda Jai Hari Govinda' Namavali.
Earlier in the day, Sri Sri Swamiji performed special pooja to the Divine couple on the occasion of Thiruvonam and Vamana Jayanthi.
Madhurapuri Ashram's Kunja Bhavanam was inaugurated by Marudanallur Sri Guru Kodandarama Swamigal (6th Pontiff of the Marudhanallur Satguru Swamigal Mutt) in the presence of Sri Swamiji on August 20th 2010. The special feature of the utsavam which spanned 2 days was the presence of the deity Sri Rama who was worshipped by Marudanallur Satguru Swamigal himself about 300 years back. The akshaya patram which was used by the Marudanallur Sadguru and the holy paduka of the Sadguru Swamigal also sanctified the newly built Kunja Bhavanam.
The two days - 21st and 22nd August - were adorned with an elaborate Radha Kalyana Mahotsav - with Unchavritti, Divyanama Sankirtan, Astapadi Bhajan and Radha Kalyana mahotsavam. On 22nd August, Sri Swamiji explained the greatness of Marudanallur Sadguru Swamigal Mutt and honored the Swamigal with a floral crown and offering of a shower of flowers.
Dr Bhagyanathanji spoke about the brief history of how this present kunja bhavanam was constructed and Sri Swamiji honored Mr. Deenadayalan and family who completely undertook the entire kainkarya of constructing the Kunja Bhavanam.
About 500 fortunate devotees braved the rains to be receipients of our Thakurji's and Sri Rama's grace and participated in this 2-day event.
Sri Sri Swamiji camped at Thanjavur for 3 days from 9th to 11th June 2010. A Bhagavata Saptaham Parayanam was arranged at Sri Ganesha Temple in State Bank Colony in Thanjavur. On the morning of the 9th, Sri Sri Swamiji arrived at the temple and commenced the Saptaham. He also participated in the Parayana on the other days.
In the evenings of 9th and 10th, Sri Sri Swamiji discoursed on Bhakta Charitram at Sri Bhagavat Gita Mantapam at Sri Navaneetha Krishnan temple. ON the first day, He discoursed on the divine Charitra of Sri Bhagavan nama Bodendra Saraswati Swamigal. On the second day, He discoursed on Pandarpur Bhaktas.
Around 400 devotees participated in the lecture everyday.
On the 10th of June, Sri Sri Swamiji visited the village of Oothukkadu. There He had the darshan of the beautiful ‘Kaaliya Nardhana Krishna’ and sang Sri Oothukadu Venkatakavi’s Kirtans on Krishna in the sanctum. He also visited Sri Venkata Kavi’s sannadhi.
Quoting our Sri Swamiji, "Each type of soil is good for and produces a certain kind of crop. And, our Indian soil is good for and has , since time immemorial,been producing sages!"
One such great soul , of recent times, was Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swami of the renowned Sri Kanchi kamokoti mutt. Endearingly addressed as ' Mahaperiyava' he came to occupy the illustrious mutt throne even as a teenager.The Vedas, which is the very foundation of our Sanathana Dharma, was at this point of time on the decline. It was Mahaperiyava who revived the Vedas for the welfare of the world at large.
Known as "The Walking God", his love and compassion embraced people of all faiths. Westerners and the orients, rich and poor , men and women, scholars and illiterates, theists and atheist flocked to his Divine presence. Sri Swamiji celebrated, with great eclat, the birth anniversary of Mahaperiyava on 28th May 2010, at Madhurapuri ashram. As per the Indian calendar it was Vaikaasi Anusham - Vaikaasi the month and Anusham the birth star of the Sage.
Morning
Padhuka (the holy sandals) is verily the representation of the Mahan himself. Padhuka abhishekha was performed with SriRudram 11times, Chamakam Padha parayanam,Upanishad, Durga Suktham 8 times,Sri Suktham ,Shiva Sankalpam, ,by Sri.Venkatarama Sarma, one of the Sr.Adhyapaks and Vedic students of our Sri Sandeepani Gurukulam. Sri Veatrama sarma was assisted by Sri.Jagadeesh Sarma, another Sr.Adhyapak. Sandal Paste was applied over the Divine Padhukas. his was followed by archana with Vilva,konkai,Thumbai, Vazhai, Oomatham, and Erukam flowers. Sri Rudra Trishathi, Shivashtatharam were then chanted. This was followed by the recitation of Dashinamoorthy stotra, ,Guruvashtakam, Thotakashtakam, etc. Later archana for Sri Premika Varadan Sametha MadhuriSakhi was performed.
Evening Seating the Padhuka on a small decorated throne Sri Swamiji carried "IT" on his head in procession. The procession started moving slowly towards Thulasi maadam at the entrance to the Ashram. The procession then proceeded to Sri Kalyana Srinivasa perumal temple. From there the Paduka moved to Sri Jaya Hanumanji temple. All the while our Veda Padasala students chanted Sri Rudram, Upanishads while Sri Pammal Balaji chanted Mahaperiyava Namavalli.
On the return, harati was taken to 'The Paduka' at the ashram entrance. Our Veda Padasala students then chanted Chamakam kramam from ashram entrance upto Bhagavatha Bhavanam hall. Sri Swamiji swayed the divine padhukas in his hand to the rhythm of the chant. At the entrance to the Bhagavata Bhavanam harathi was taken. Inside the Bhagavata bhavanam Thevaram, Divine kirtans, Namakirtan, Sri Sankara stotras were recited. Sri Swamiji then did 'anga pradhakshan' to Holy padhuka. The Padhuka was then placed back on the silver throne. Sri Swamiji had brought in the Divine presence of Mahaperiyava on this day of his Jayanti filling the hearts of devotees with delight.
On Akshaya Thrithiyai day, Srimad Bhagavatha Saptaham was started at Madhuramurali Bhavanam, Alapakkam by Sri Swamiji. The parayanam was led by Sri Sri Swamiji and followed by Sri Prakash Bhagavatha and other devotees.
April 15th marked the beginning of the very auspicious “Purushottama” month. Any deed fetches multi-fold merits when performed during this month. In this Kali Yuga, what greater deed can one perform than Nama Sankirtan? And that too, in the holy Govindapuram, where Sri Bhagavan Nama Bodendra Saraswati Swamiji remains in Jiva Samadhi till date and incessantly chants the Rama Nama.
A special 7-day Nama Sankirtan and Pravachan Yagna is being organized at Chaitanya Kuteeram in Govindapuram between April 15th and 21st of this year.
Paranur Mahatma, His Holiness Sri Sri Krishna Premi Maharaj performs a discourse on Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Bhashya in the morning between 8-10 am and a discourse on the divine life of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the evenings between 3 and 5 pm. Soon after the evening discourse a grand Nama Sankirtan procession happens every day, with devotees participating from different corners of Tamil Nadu and from other states as well.
The entire Govindapuram village wears a festive look. A large poster showcasing the events for the day is put up in front of Chaitanya Kuteeram and huge ‘pandals’ are erected. Huge ‘kolams’ are drawn at the entrance.
On the morning of 15th of April, a grand welcome was accorded to Sri Sri Krishna Premi Maharaj. As auspicious musical notes from the Nadaswaram rented the air, Sri Sri Anna and Sri Manni were welcomed in a procession from their residence to the Chaitanya Kuteeram. The procession included all the paraphernalia like huge colorful umbrellas etc. At the entrance of the Chaitanya Kuteeram, Sri Swamiji welcomed Sri Sri Anna and Sri Manni with Poorna Kumbham. Garlands and shawls were offered to Sri Sri Anna and Sri Manni. and Sri Swamiji adorned Sri Anna with a beautiful floral crown.
Inside the Kuteeram, Sri Swaminatha Athreya, a great Mahan and Rama Bhakta who hails from Thanjavur joined Sri Swamiji in welcoming Sri Sri Anna. A ‘Gadhyam’ on Sri Sri Anna composed by Sri Swamiji was read out during the inauguration. Sri Swamiji offered a special "kiLi maalai" (parrot garland) from Sri Rangam Sri Ranganatha's shrine to Sri Sri Anna.
Sri Sri Anna discoursed on Vishnu Sahasranama Bhashyam.
In the evening, at 3:00 pm, Sri Sri Anna renders the discourse on the Divine Life of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at Chaitanya Kuteeram. The huge hall is packed with devotees and overflowed into the verandah and the streets to listen to the discourse.
Prasadams from various Divya Desams were brought by the Bhattacharyas for Sri Sri Anna.
Every day, after the discourse, the procession with Mahamantra Kirtan starts. At the entrance of Chaitanya Kuteeram, Sri Sri Anna blesses every devotee with Prasadam Then Sri Sri Anna and Sri Swamiji lead the procession singing the Mahamantra, as more than a 1000 devotees who from different parts of the state take part. With flags and ‘thaalam’ in their hands, Mahamantra in their lips and devotion in their hearts, the procession goes through all the streets of Govindapuram.
An elephant goes in the front signifying the head of the procession. The procession spans the entire stretch of Govindapuram - If the head of the procession was one end of the village, the tail end was at the other end of the village. It is indeed a wonderful treat for the eyes, as the nectar of the Mahamantra fills the ears.
On the first day (15th April), devotees from Tuticorin, Ambasamudram, Vairavanallur, Cheranmadevi, Kalsundu Colony, VK Puram, Ravanasamudram, Alwarkuruchi, Tirunelveli, Kovilpatti and nearby cities participated in the procession.
On the second day (16th April), a large number of devotees from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Ammaiappan, Tiruturaipoondi, Mayiladuthurai and nearby cities took part in the procession.
On the third day (17th April), devotees from Cuddalore, Pondicherry, Mangalur, Sevvur, Thindivanam, Vizhupuram, Tiruchi, Salem, Erode, Vellakkovil, Palani, Tiruthani, Kanchipuram, Sriperumbudur, Paramakkudi and nearby cities participated.
Elaborate arrangements have been made for the boarding and lodging of all the outstation devotees. All the devotees who attend the program are fed with sumptuously.
On April 5th, Sri Sri Swamiji inaugurated the "Star Vijay Bhakti Tiruvizha" at Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai.
Sri Sri Swamiji was accorded a grand welcome with Poorna Kumbham at the entrance of Narada Gana Sabha. He then inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp. Following this, Sri Sri Swamiji gave a discourse to the audience in the hall which was packed to its capacity.
Click here for the photographs of the event
The second year anniversary of Sri Sundara Anjaneya Swamy’s kumbabhishekam at NRI Layout, Kalkere, Bangalore was celebrated in a grand manner from 31st March to 3rd April 2010.
Sri Sri Swamiji arrived on 31st March and stayed for all the five days. He gave discourses on different topics in Srimad Ramayana during the days.
On the anniversary day, April 3rd, special Tirumanjanam was performed to Sri Sundara Anjaneya Swamy by Sri Sri Swamiji. While the Alankara was going on, Sri Sri Swamiji lectured on the glory of Hanumanji. He started off by talking about Prahlada swamy and drew parallels between the qualities of Prahlada and Hanumanji.
Later, after the Alankaram was performed, Sri Sri Swamiji performed Pooja and Harathi to Hanumanji.
Lunch Prasad was served to all the devotees.
In the evening, the wonderfully decorated Utsava Murthy was taken on a procession. Amidst Nadaswara music and kirtans and fireworks, Sri Sri Swamiji led the procession of Anjaneya Swamy through the streets of NRI Layout. The sun had set by the time the procession was back in the temple, and one could see the temple with its daunting tower, well decorated with lights.
After the procession, Sri Sri Swamiji performed Arathi to Hanumanji.
During this occasion, Sri Balaji Bhagavata was honored with the title “Upanyasa Thilagam” with Sri Sri Swamiji’s blessings.
Around 3000 devotees from different parts of the city, state and country had participated in the glorious event.
On Sunday, Oct 25th, Sri Sri Swamiji's Jayanti was celebrated in a grand manner by "Ambur Anmeega Peravai" in Ambur. In the afternoon, an Annadhaanam (feeding the masses) was arranged, where more than 1200 devotees were fed. Later, at around 6pm, Sri Sri Swamiji arrived at the Srinivasa Perumal temple, where he distributed free blankets and clothing to the needy. Then Sri Sri Swamiji rendered a discourse which was followed by mass prayers with Mahamantra Kirtan.
On the 21st of October, Sri Sri Swamiji participated in the kumbabhishekam of Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple in Gudiyatham.
Sri Sri Swamiji also interacted in the local satsang members and gave lectures on the Glory of the Divine Name.
Click here for photographs
At 5pm on 4th October, Sri Sri Swamiji presided over the valediction of the 3 day-long Bhagavatha mela in Nanganallur, Chennai and blessed all.
Also a book containing bhajans on YogiRamsuratkumar composed by a devotee was released by Sri Sri Swamiji and the first copy was received by Justice Sri T.S.Arunachalam of Bhagavan Yogiramsuratkumar Ashram, Tiruvannamalai.
On Monday Sep 28, 2009, at about 5 pm, Sri Sri Swamiji visited Yogiramsuratkumar ashram Tiruvannamalai to participate in the inauguration of a new silver 'kavacham' for Bhagavan YogiRamsuratkumar.
A book written by Justice Sri Arunachalam on his experiences with Yogiji was also released during the function.
On 22nd September, at about 6 pm, Sri Sri Swamiji visited ‘Krupa’ a home for people with special needs – those affected by autistic disorder, Down syndrome, ADHD etc. This home is situated in Sriperumbudur, which is a few kms away from our Madhurapuri Ashram.
At the home, Sri Sri Swamiji interacted with all the inmates and blessed them all with apples and sweets. Sri Sri Swamiji was moved by the wonderful service offered by the home and its administration. He spoke to the volunteers commending their noble service.
On September 21st, Sri Sri Swamiji visited a village called Vellarai near our Madhurapuri Ashram. The devotees in this village regularly perform Nama Sankirtan with great enthusiasm. Every year, on behalf of Sri Sandeepani Gurukulam Trust, the school children are given stitched uniforms and other timely favours on a regular basis. This year too, our Sri Swamiji visited the school and distributed uniforms. every year we donate stitched uniforms to these students and later Sri Sri Swamiji interacted with the devotees there.
At 7pm, Sri Sri Swamiji viisted Vaippur and Koolangalcherry villages near Padappai and interacted with the devotees there. Sri Sri Swamiji discoursed on the divine life of the great devotee Gora Kumhar.
