On my visit to Nanganallur Anjaneya Swami temple, Chennai

 

Way to temple entrance

The central hall 

    

Main idol in the sanctum

Main idol decorated with vadamala

    Sri Viswaroopa Adhivyadhihara Bhaktanjaneya (One who removes mental and

    physical diseases) Swami temple is a well-known place in Nanganallur which has

    the privilege of having many holy temples like Sri Lakshmi Narasimha 

    Navaneetha Krishnan temple, Sri Hayavadana Perumal temple, Sri Siddhi

    Vinayakar temple, Ardhanareeswara temple, Sri Sarvamangala Rajarajeswari

    temple, Guruvayurappan temple and Sri Raghavendra Mutt. Sri Anjaneya temple is            located at 8^th street, Ist main Road, Ramnagar. You have to get down at Palavathangal      or at Mambalam railway station to reach this temple.

 The idol of Anjaneya is thirty-two feet tall carved from a single granite stone and is the second tallest one after the statue of Hanuman in Panchavatee at Puducherry.
Sri Maruthi Bhaktasamajam Trust with the blessings of Sri Raghavendraswami and Kanchi Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati succeeded in establishing this temple in 1989. The temple was consecrated with Kumbhabhishekam in 1995 after constructing a lofty 90-foot tall Rajagopuram.In 2008 this temple was taken over by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Govt. of Tamilnadu. As soon as one enters one can see the gigantic statue of Lord Hanuman in standing posture with folded hands. The tall statue decorated with flower garlands and golden crown looks quite majestic and evokes a sense of devotion. There is a pathway on four sides of the temple. The mandapam or the central hall is very spacious and devotees have to move in a queue. Three ghee lamps burn continuously in front of the sanctum. The temple is well-maintained and many senior citizens act as volunteers in doing temple work.Various type of Prasadams such as Pongal,Puliyogara and Milagu Vada are freely distributed here to all devotees.Many devotees perform Vadamala seva here when the tall idol of Lord Hanuman is garlanded with vadas from top to bottom.

 The temple is facing west and there is a second entrance from the southern side. On northwestern side there is the shrine of Lord Srirama with Sita,Lakshmana and Hanuman. In southwestern corner there is a shrine for Lord Sri Krishna along with his consorts, Rukmini and Satyabhama. This is quite unusual since in many Hanuman temples one does not see a separate shrine for lord Krishna.  In the Northeastern corner there is a platform with lord Ganesh and there is an idol of Naga (serpent) on the left side of Ganesh. On the northwestern side of the temple there is a cowshed with many cows whose milk is used for temple sevas. To the eastern side of the temple one finds the kitchen and the administrative building. Many sevas are done in this temple. Sri Rama Kalyanam is performed every day. Special poojas and ceremonies are performed during festive days like Hanumath Jayanti, Golulasthami,Sri rama navami and Navarathri.Special archanas are done on Saturdays and abhishekams on Ekadashi nand Amaavasi days.The temple is open from 5.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon and from 4.00 to 9.00 p.m. in the evening. On Tuesdays and Saturdays one finds a huge crowd here.  The nearby temples are Sri Raghavendraswami temple and Guruvayur temple.If you visit Chennai do visit Naganallur area where you can see many temples with unique features and significance.

                              ***********************************************************************

17th June, 2018

Somaseshu Gutala

On my visit to Sri Rajarajeswari Temple, Nanganallur, Chennai

 

                         

               

    In Nanganallur area, there are many old famous temples to see. Sri Rajarajeswari temple is one of the oldest temples and the area is named after the name of this Goddess as Nanga Nallai (place of good-natured women) which is now called Nanganallur. This is a private temple also named as Sri Rajarajeswari ashram. This temple having two floors is located at 16^th street at ThillaigangaNagar.

 The temple is facing east, but has entrance from the north. At the entrance Prakara,the idols of Astadikpalakas are seen. After the entrance there are two shrines—one for Lord Dattatreya and another for Lord Bhairava. On the ground floor the temple for Sri Lakshmisametha Satyanarayana  Swamy is seen. Here the image of Lakshmi is seen on the chest of Perumal. Many devotees perform Satyanarayana Vratham here.  Unlike in other Vishnu temples here the idols of Navagrahas are seen on the wall in a straight line.The devotees should go round the temple in anti-clockwise direction. First they should have the darshan of Vinayaka and Durga. Later they should see the main presiding Goddess who is seen on the second floor. The statues of Shankanidhi and Padmanidhi are seen at the entrance of the steps.

 One has to climb 16 steps to enter the sanctum and climb down sixteen steps from the other side to leave the place. While coming down one can see the fifteen stucco idols of Thithi Devatas (representing fifteen lunar phases and fifteen letters of Mahashodasi mantra) on the wall with Agasthya Muni’s hymn engraved below each idol. The main idol of Rajarajeswari is seen in sitting posture on Meru Yantra wielding a discus,a conche,  a sugarcane bow and flower-arrows in her four arms. Decked in costly jewels and ornaments she looks very beautiful in the glow of oil-lit lamps. She is flanked by Lakshmi and Saraswati on one side and by Ganesh and Murugan on the other side. Subshrines of Matangi and Vaarahi are seen on either side of the sanctum. Fifty-one Shakti Yantras are installed in this temple which makes this place equal to fifty one Shakti Pithams seen in India.

 The main idol is self-manifested from the sacrificial altar in the form of glittering stones when Sri Rajagopal Swamigal was performing Homam at his house in Georgetown on Navarathri Friday in 1957. As per the advice of Kanchi Paramacharya, Sri Chandrasekhara  Saraswati, he installed them in the present place after getting them carved into idols. Here poojas are done according to Srividya tradition. So only persons specially trained under Swamy are allowed to act as priests. Here many devotees perform Kumkuma Pooja. They have to buy Kumkum (vermilion) sold by temple people.  Kumkum from outside is not allowed. The kumkum packet should be dropped into a box after mentioning one’s name, birth star, janma thithi and one’s wish before ascending the steps.

 There is Varuna Dhanvantari theertham in the form a well within temple premises. The water from this well is said to have  powers of to cure health problems. It is believed that Rajarajeswari in this shrine was worshipped by Sage Agasthya and Thirumoolar. The rays from the sun touch the holy feet of the Goddess for six days in the early morning time during the month of Masi or Magha . Special poojas are done during this time. The temple timings are from 6.00 a.m to 12.00 noon and 5.30 to 8.45 in the evening. You will experience the benign presence of Mother everywhere in the temple. To reach this temple one has to get down at Palavanthagal railway station.

                          +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

11th June, 2018                                                     Somaseshu Gutala

      

Penelope (Blank Verse)

Penelope

Ulysses killing his foes with his mighty bow

                        “ Son of Leartes ! Star of Ithaca ! days

                            Singe my patience and my steadfast faith in thee ;

                            Twenty years passed and Telemachus thy son

                            No more a toddler ; Even gods are perplexed    

                            By this perpetual war for one queen’s sake           

                           So many mighty kings of Argive, Lycia and Thrace

                           Fell down and blood flows like turbulent Xanthus ;

                           Memnon slain, Troilus died and strong Sarpedon fell

                           Still Paris braves in vain against Grecian armies ;

                           Durst I spend my youth wearing thus alone

                           While lusty bees buzz their amorous whispers

                           And try to tempt  a languishing lily like me ;

                           Like an old Sibyl in her holy pantheon

                           I wait and pining to see thy radiant mien.

                          These neighboring kings like hungry wolves

                          Feast on idle pleasures wasting thy treasure;

                          How long can I govern this rugged kingdom

                          With tactful means in thy long absence ?  

                          Some Achaean kings returned with Trojan spoils

                          Presaging thy victory and yet not heard of thee ;

                          By Apollo’s grace, Hellas must win and set her banner

                         On topless towers of Illium ever I pray ;

                         With thousand eyes of Argus, with fluttering soul

                         I hope to see  thy stalwart figure armed like Mars

                         Return with victorious spoils and cheer thy son ;

                         Let not the mighty trident of Poseidon

                         Obstruct thy mighty ship with stormy blasts ;

                         May great Athena’s spear guard thee from dangers

                         And make thee happy  to see the Ionian shore.

                         Let these lecherous beasts face thy dreadful darts

                         And pay with  their blood for betraying thee; 

                         Meanwhile to keep these haughty hounds at bay

                         I’ll feign to weave a votive fabric

                         And unweave in stealth for chaste Artemis

                         To score time and slip from these thankless flock ;

                         With thy mighty bow slay these lewd, rampant beasts

                         Who tried to ravish thy kingdom and thy spouse ;

                         With thirsty supplicating looks I wait for thee

                        Come soon, and end this ever burning Etna’s fire within.”

                        She spoke in doleful voice with tear-drenched face

                        Like a snow-white dove pursued by swift-winged   ravens

                        In her chamber decked with Persian shawls and costumes

                        With crystal vases foaming with Cyprian wine

                        And silver dishes filled with fruits and steaming dainties ;

                        Yet none she touched but yearned for her dearest Ulysses.

                       =================================================


              Notes :

     Notes : Penelope, daughter of the Spartan king Icarius and  nymph Periboea  was the wife of Odysseyus or Ulysses who ruled Ithaca, one of the islands in Greece. He was well known for his intelligence, bravery and wisdom. He participated along with other Grecian kings in Trojan War to bring back Helen who was abducted by Paris, a Trojan Prince. Many Greek heroes sacrificed their lives in this war which went on for ten years. Ulysses using his clever strategy under the pretext of leaving  a wooden horse  as a religious gift managed to score victory over Trojans. Ulysses during his return journey faced many hazards as he was cursed by Poseidon, sea-god, for blinding his son,Polyphemus, a huge monster ruling the island of Cyclops. So it took ten more years for him to return home. During his absence Penelope had to rule the kingdom and look after her son, Telemachus. The other neighboring kings gathered round her asking her to marry one of them as they thought Ulysess might have died when his ship was wrecked in the storm. Penelope asked them to wait till she wove a garment and dedicate it to Goddess, Artemis. Every night she used to unweave the garment in stealth to gain more time. After twenty years Ulysses, knowing that he was surrounded by rival kings, arrived in the guise of a beggar. Penelope laid the condition that whoever was able to string the mighty bow of Ulysses would be eligible to win her hand. None was able to string the bow. Ulysses disguised as a beggar came and  strung the bow. He slayed the rival kings with arrows assisted by his young son and servants. Penelope recognized her husband and felt happy to know that her husband had returned alive after a long gap of twenty years. In Greek mythology, Penelope was recognized for her chastity and steadfast devotion to her beloved husband.

   References : 1.    Ulysses – also called Odysseyus was the son of laertes and Anticlea.

                        2.     Singe ---- burn or scorch                        

                        3.   Xanthus --- a river in Lycia      

                        4. Argives, Thrace, Lycia ---- small kingdoms in Greece

                        5. Memnon  ------  An Ethiopian king who fought on the side of Trojan kings

                        6.  Troilus ---- A young Trojan prince killed by Achilles

                        7.  Sarpedon ----   A Lycian Trojan ally king killed by Achilles.

                       8.  Paris ---- Son of Priam and Hecuba and a Trojan prince who abducted the                                              the Greek queen, Helen

                                                  

                       9. Sibyl ---- a Greek priestess who foretells future events

                      10. Pantheon ---  a temple dedicated to all gods

                      11.  Achaean kings --- Grecian kings

                      12.  Apollo ------- Sun God                         

                      13.   Hellas ---------------   Greece

                      14.   Topless towers of Illium --- towers of Troy whose tops are too tall to see.

.

                           “Was this the face that launched a thousand ships

                          And burnt the topless towers of Ilium? “– Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

                      15.    Argus ----   a hundred-eyed giant in Greek mythology.

                      16.    Mars ---- Greek God of War

                      17.   Poseidon ---- Sea-God (Neptune) shown with a huge trident in his hand.

                      18.   Athena --- Goddess of wisdom, arts and war shown as holding a spear

                                               in her hand   

                      19.   Votive fabric --- garment offered in fulfillment of a vow.

                      20.   Artemis ----      Goddess of chastity dwelling in moon.

                      21.   Etna   -------      Mt. Etna, a volcanic mountain on the east coast of Sicily.

                      22.  Ravish ----          seize by force

                      23.  doleful ----           filled with grief

                      24.   Cyprian ---- belonging to Cyprus which is famous for quality wines.

                   

                                     ********************************************************

                    7th June, 2018                                         Somaseshu Gutala

                     

                                   

                  

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The Tale of a Poor Indian Housewife (Blank Verse)

                                                                                                       

                                                             (  I  )

                              A pale lean figure with plaited frizzy hair

                              Crouches in a hut, in a smoky corner

                              No kitchen and drawing room, but all in one

                              A conical poor hut with muddy floor

                              In dirty surroundings with filthy air

                              Her children five or six with hungry stomachs

                              Play in front half-naked in tattered clothes

                              Lean undernourished skinny figures

                              Still clumsied by their untidy manners;

                              Cursing, fighting and quarrelling among themselves

                              As unruly as untrimmed wild thorny bushes;

                              Though she seems mute and unconcerned she loves

                              Them who suffer and share her pitiable state;

                              Sometimes vexed with her own, she turns too wild

                              Like a tigress and beats her own offspring

                              Shouting hoarse till her eyes turn red with tears.

                              Her heart aches to see her children too become

                              Victims to poverty with no promising change.

                              They grow like mildewed plants on barren sapless soil.

                                                    

                                                          (  I I  )         

                                                       

                           With dappled dawn she rises from her rags

                            And walks to village pond with earthen pots

                           She cleans her hut and hurries to the field

                           Or distant factory to earn her daily bread;

                           If not in houses to work as a servant-maid

                           To sweep, to wash and clean utensils till noon.

                           She goes back home to cook her scanty meal

                           To share with kids the remnants cold and stale

                           Given by her mistress and kind neighbors.

                           She works again leaving her kids alone

                           Who kill their time in idle gossip and sport

                           Deprived of learning and guidance they grow

                           Like wild creepers with no purpose or goal.

                                                    (  I I I )

                         Her husband, a man of rough and robust build

                          With bulging brawn and swelling sinews

                          His tanned body accustomed to hard labor

                          From morn to eve he toils to earn his wages  

                         Then spends his hard-earned money in dirty taverns

                         Or in wasteful gambling or in harlot’s dens;

                         Vexed with his state he frets and fumes at home

                         In drunken fit he scolds his dame and slaps

                         Her forgetting his faults in brutal way

                         And falls asleep cursing his wretched fate.

                                                 (  I  V  )

                       The poor housewife used to daily insults and blows

                       Still with the hope of setting her house aright

                       Never gave up the hope of future ahead

                     “My husband is good but for his vicious mates

                       In sober mood as mild as a cow he seems;

                       Let him not perish like a burnt our cigar 

                       Let me try to make him as happy as I can

                       Let me convince him about his spoiling friends

                       My kids too,nice as fresh blossoms in spring

                       Bad lads corrupted their ways:  if not how they

                       Helped me at home or in gardening toil?

                       I will sweat two hours more and make them learn

                       At school and help me in my household work.

                       Let me persuade my foolish husband too 

                       To quit drinking and worthless bragging mates.

                       Let me be honest and hope for good in future

                       By God’s mercy better times we behold “

                       She ponders thus and every day for better times

                       Amidst poverty, sorrows and daily strife.

                                 *********************************************

           31st May, 2018                                       Somaseshu Gutala


                 Note :                   

                             frizzy      =  dry and untidy     
                             mildewed =  infected with fungal disease
                             dappled    =  marked with different patches of color 
                             clumsied  = made dirty

                          ====================================
                              

Confessions of a Country Swain (Blank Verse)

                                                        (  I  )

             The wind feels cool just like the touch of my palm

              Ice-cold when winter comes; the tossing crowns

              Of golden corn remind my youthful days

              When I as a lad raced with calves and village boys:

              With sudden rush and cease a lilt of music

              Passes through undulating wavy grass;

              Like minstrels at wedding time who vie

              With loud playing sounds of trumpets and drums ;                    
              Our village dames excel in drawing designs
              With rice-powder and colors in front-yards

              Of our homes with rhythmic ease and accustomed skill.

              But me, too poor at drawing those curves and dots;

              As a boy I scribbled sparrows and crows

              With a coal-piece on whichever wall I wish

              And drew odd circles and squares on sandy bed.

              The fluffy floating clouds in various shapes      

              Tinged with crimson, rosy and golden colors

              Made a visual feast to my wondering eyes;

              Our elders after their farming work sat around

              To drink country-liquor and drag back to their homes

              With empty pockets, groping through gloomy lanes;

              For me the fields around with colorful blooms and leaves

              Showed the thrilling art of Nature’s work;

              Though I can’t capture those charms in paint

              I kept them safe within as a treasure of dreams.

                                            ( I I )

             “Why this fustian talk?” you may ask; forgive

              A village babbler’s loose petty sermon:

              My school teacher oft used his rod to mend

              My slogging brain: he spared no stick or duster;

              My parents beat me , but beyond letters

              I never learnt: each letter took a month’s labor

              I sweated like a bull goaded through rough furrows;

              After my tedious study time, my life

              Took a happy turn; I grazed the cows and tamed

              Them to yield milk that fell with hissing froth

              Into the pail; a delicious smell I sensed

              As I watched those mild creatures munching grass;

              My master praised poesy as the food divine

              That I treated as Greek and Latin indeed:

              In my broken dialect and half-fledged tunes

              I sang aloud amidst the open fields

              Unaware of my animal friends and pals;

              My friends called me a bard in a teasing way;

              I never cared: once when a rambler heard

              My song, he praised me and danced like a doll

              Clapping and whistling with excited zeal

              And gave me sweet berries with happy looks.

                                         ( I I I )

              Don’t think of me, a trumpeter; I never played

              Romeo like city youth but chose to dwell

              With my rustic maid under the thatched roof

              Though not so pretty as flirting city girls

              She gave me contented joy and worked a lot ;

              Not pestering me for costly things and wealth
              On festive days we had our joyous fill                             

              When all people sat around in moon-lit nights

              After their due reverence to village temple gods.

              With much delight I took the role of serving food

              Urging all to eat more and more in liberal measure.

              Not like these urban folk with metal forks and spoons

              But relish each morsel full with god-given hands.      

                                            

                                             ( I V )

               I ply the boat too tied beside the sedgy banks;

               With my  leathern scrip, line and rod 

               To deeper waters I row with keener eye

               Swinging my line with cautious twist to catch

               A bunch of silver carp,white trout or striped long eel

               A lush meal for me with country fowl and eggs ;

               A simple life I lead with my kin and mates

               Not wishing for airy castles too steep

               For my honest labor, humble means and worth

               I do thank God for what I am, My friends !

               As clear as a banana with its golden rind

               Open,I laid bare my feelings to you;

               I end my confession too long I presume

               Pardon me if much time I snatched from you.

                   ***************************************************

               24th May, 2018                          Somaseshu Gutala

     Note :    1. Country swain = a village youth

                   2. fluffy              = soft like feathers

                   3. fustian           =  artificial 

                   4. babbler          =  talkative

                   5. trumpeter      = one who praises himself

                   6. scrip              =  (Archaic) bag

                   7. half-fledged   = immature   
         
                             *************************************