EVENTS OF THE MONTH JULY 2009

GURUVAYUR SAPTHAM

Where a sapthaham takes place there all punya kshetras and teeerthas show their sanctity. Still devotees like to conduct sapthahams at various kshetras.This shows their devotion. Guruvayur is a very prominent Krishna kshetra. At Guruvayur and Brindavanam always Bhagavatha sapthahams are being conducted continuously.

Every year Sri Chandran of Mumbai conducts Bhagavatha sapthaham during the month of Aadi ( July-Aug). Around 400 devotees had assembled there from various cities especially Mumbai.Parayanam, Pravachanam and Sankeerthanam were conducted at Rukmini kalyana mandapam. It was a parayana sapthaham. Hence the parayanam and pravachanam went on alternatively from 7.00 in the morning to 7.00 in the night. Sri Hari anna and Sri Rangaji delivered the discourses alternatively. The audience comprising fully of Bhagavatha rasikas enjoyed the pravachanams thoroughly. Hari Anna refered to Narayaneeya slokas and Sri Guruvayurappan in his every day pravachanams. In the first day discourse he described the sloka “ Kashta they shrishticheshta”. He concluded that this universe has been created by the Lord only to drink the nectar of Bhagavatham through our ears and the nectar of Guruvayurappan’s darshan through our eyes. At Guruvayur everyday Guruvayurappan was dressed up in a new alankara.Sri Hari Anna went for the Lord’s darshan everyday after the evening pravachanam. One day he went to the temple after delivering the discourse on Gajendramoksham. Guruvayurappan was decorated in Gajendramoksha alankaram. After the darshan he said “ Archavatharam talks to us”. Rukmini kalyana pravachanam by Srimathi Vishakha Hari was a grand event.When she quoted Manjula’s charitram in Guruvayurappan’s leela the devotees went ecsatatic. As usual Kathakali went on well. In this sapthaham which went on from July 23^rd to 30^th the devotees filled their ears with Bhagavatham and their eyes with Guruvayurappan’s darshan.

SRI KRISHNA LEELA PRAVACHANAM,CHENNAI

June 26, 27, 28^th witnessed a mass crowd at Asthika Samaj, Venus Colony, Alwarpet, Chennai. It was Srimathi Vishakha Hari’s sangeetha upanyasam on Krishna leelas for 3days consecutively. ON the first day it was Krishna Avatharam followed by Bala leela and Brundavana leela. The third day concluded with Akruraragamanam, Kamsa Vadam and Rukmini Kalyanam. Every day she handled various songs, slokas and pasurams including Sri Thyagaraja, Dikshitar, Purandaradas, Andal, Subramanya Bharathi. She used several of Sri Anna’s songs from Govinda Shathakam and slokas from Govindakathamrutham. The second day when she delivered Kaliya Narthana she used her Guru Lalgudi Jayaraman’s tillana which was specifically composed for this programme. She acknowledged her indebtedness to him on the spot for having composed this tillana for her sake. It was in raga Nagaswarali depicting the dance of the Lord on Naga ( snake). It was an outstanding success rousing ovation from the audience who clapped their hands continuously for 7 minutes. She immediately said this ovation is to Lalgudi sir. The third day witnessed an overwhelming crowd. Sri A.K Ramamurthy of Vedic Sangeeta Foundation had organized the programme meticulously. He distributed prasadams to more than 1500 devotees each day. He had also arranged for 4 T.V screens ( plasma screens) and 2 huge screens. The audience were seated very comfortably. On the final day he presented Srimathi Vishakha Hari with a lovely Tanjore art painting of Sri Krishna.