Nandanotsavam - Day 2

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The Rendaam Kaappu past mid-night is one of the difficult and but quiet and beautiful event of the utsavam. For what is called the second vow, Varada leaves his aasthanam at 1.30 in the night goes back to the hastigiri. The quiet lonely walk in the middle of the night is a beautiful sight. I stepped out of the sannidhi while the thiruvaradhanam is on to catch some air under one of the giant fans in the prakaram.

I don't generally get a chance to chat with and get into the local gossip - but this time there was one known face and we got talking. I asked him if he would help me identify the Bhattachar's or the hereditary priests who figure in  Iyengar's book and to show me if any of their descendants are around this year. What a coincidence - Rangarajan knew of "DR" well as Dindigul Ramaswamy Iyengar was fondly referred and also about the book. He was thrilled to know I had a copy of the book.

We quickly got into a plan to republish the book even before the utsavam got over. DR was such a bhakta, Lord Varada himself shed tears when that Bhakta left the earth for the heavenly abode, said another person sitting next to us. Rangarajan wanted to know if it is true that DR compares the white of Perumal's vastram in the Hamsa Vahanam after the Rendaam Utsavam with Hamsa's white, the white of the early morning sky etc., After that we got a bit of Thengalai - Vadagalai gossip, the temple is too well known for the Kalai fights.

It was then time to get back to sannidhi and the brisk walk around the madapalli prakaram and inner prakaram - brisk, gaitly walk for the Lord, but we had to run to catch up with that.

After Rendaam Kaapu, wasting little time Varada got ready for his second vaahanam - Hamsa Vahanam. Bright in shining silver comes the huge hamsa vahanam. I thought it is ironic that the Lord should hold a blue velvetty string to control the Hamsam, and even more ironic that he rides the vahanam, a symbol of peace in all white with a sword and armour behind him.

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