Swami Saranam Ayyappa - Chinappa and Bala swamy augmenting the spiritual culture to next gen

 

 Swami Saranam Ayyappa -  Chinappa and Bala swamy augmenting the spiritual culture to next gen. 

The whole reason me pushing self very hard to write this in my broken English as the ones that are being portrayed, felicitated by words and winning my heart are not at ease with my Marathi writing. More so, they may not get the real essence of my feelings that I would like to convey. So excuse me for blunders that I would make in my write up.

Just to take you back to the reference - why am I so excited to write about this ? In  early 2017 was transferred to Hyderabad. Just the winter was about to give the pleasant weather feel in the hot Hyderabad, I saw guys with black shirts, dhotis or black trousers with grown beards, big chandan tilakam on the foreheads….the number of guys I came across was so much… not that I earlier was unaware of this, as used to see these guys visiting some temples in Maharashtra. But seeing the multitude having commonalities made me more curious to know about them.  They are all followers of Swamy Ayyappa @ Sabarimala. An epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness (for more details please google). 

What is the tradition :  The tradition is to purify your body and trying to clean in depth to reach within yourself to reach closer to the soul. Popularly called the Mandala period, the brahmacharya fasting for 41 days is expected to prepare the Ayyappa devotees mentally and physically for the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage.  Like every vehicle, machine, motor, equipment needs a shut-down and complete servicing, this is another way to clean you within yourself by following this ritual for over 41 days. Keep yourself away from all the spices of life. The 41-day fasting period transforms the devotee from human to god. It is customary to revere every devotee preparing for Sabarimala pilgrimage as an avatar of the Lord himself. On the first day of the fast, the pilgrim awakes early, bathes and offers poojas to the family god, navagrahas (the nine planets) and the holy mala. He then proceeds to the temple with his Guru from whom he receives the mala amidst the chanting of saranams. During these 41 days one has to eat self-cooked light food  (only vegetarian without Onion, Garlic etc.), stay away from family in the same home, away from Kama, Krodh, Moha, Lobha…sleep on hard surfaces (not the heavily cushioned beds), wake up early at 4.30 am, head bath, early morning Pooja, prepare the food for the day, those are at work also follow the same attire as mentioned above and bare foot for the entire length of the ritual. Evening again bath, pooja ..the morning pooja before sun rise and evening after sunset.

 In this region (Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamilnadu) they are all allowed to follow this professionally even in Corporates (there may be exceptions – please do not try to challenge this), as there is no work loss due to this, rather they contribute more during this period being in office all the times and they don’t go out for hours together during office hours. The only exception is bare-foot, black clothes and grown hair and beards. A big thank you to all companies who allow this to happen. There are so many other things that they follow – but my intention is to give different message and not this. 

2 months back my colleagues Chinnapa Reddy and Bala Vengamuni approached me  to inform that they would like to follow this and to which I was not having any second thought but to approve it, so did the management.  And the day started, one fine day our dear Chinappa went to Tirupati (as his family stays there – lucky no… we plan for a year to go there and he is lucky to have a family there ) and took the Diksha to start the ritual. Diksha or  Mala Dharana can be done in any temple. It is usually done by Guruswami (who had been to Sabrimala 18 times) or the priest at the temple. Deeksha will be ended after returning home from Sabarimala. Mala should not be removed in Pamba or Sannidham. 

After reaching Saidapur his real ritual started, getting up at 4.30 am, bath, Pooja,  cook for self, get ready reach office, we have a local canteen food served in the canteen and he had no option but to either remain hungry or carry some fruits along.  Evening again some temple or religious places.  I must mention here that all the followers do visit maximu temples and religious places during this. Other day I went to Kurvapuram and on the way at all the places I found groups of such followers travelling, staying in mathas and visiting the places.  Only during such times I saw them @ Nasik, Kolhapur, Ellora etc… in Maharashtra.  The people that are not having a full time assignments OR job like responsibilities, they form a group and travel all the places to worship Jyotirlingas, Anjaneya Swami (Lord Hanuman), Amma Vary (goddess) temples.  They try to cover maximum pious places during this period. 

Even when I was in Hyderabad just opposite to my PG in the entire area one  by one every home was having a gathering of all such followers, they come together, sing Bhajans, recite Mantras, shlokas and by dancing a typical way they pray to Swamy Ayyapa… swami saranam ayyappa. 

Our dear Chinnapa also visited many places around (though there are not many) after office hours or on Sundays. Soon after two weeks Bala joined him as both of them work in same team – they need to travel to Sabarimala after completion, they for a reason kept this gap to cover the professional responsibilities. Hats off to their planning for the same. 

However, due to grace of god even in the remote place like Saidapur they could get one common place where all decibles stay together in a Math… they call it Sannidhanam.  This is another interesting thing, all persons of varied age groups come together, stay together, cook together, pray together, eat together for 40 days and live a complete self-dependent life right from washing clothes to vessels.  So here is where they got connected and they were offered to have lunch with other followers and they started visiting this place for their food.  Being a bachelor, having work loads of over 12 hours a day, some times or almost all Sundays working finding this time was a challenge for them so some arrangement was made for them looking at their deep trust in the god and they enjoyed. This in real sense I thank God !!!

Chinnapa was nearing completion of 41 day, but he kept waiting for few more days and extended it to further more as his other friends had to accompany him in this special pious journey to Sabarimala.  One fine morning I got to know that his small daughter  Hakshitha also joined him in this and she also followed three day ritual and went to Sabarimala with him… this made me think, write and spread the fragrance of the culture.  They always say … what you sow.. it grows.  Please see the cute baby in the attire and you will also get touched internally.  Seeing father following this every year, the child also wanted to do it. Not that she wanted to travel with him in train to Sabarimala.  He has been doing this over 10 to 15 years now and continuing it.  Proud of you dear.  There is another angle to this, in Sabarimala the female / ladies ageing between 12-50 are not allowed their and there has been a lot of chaos on this and it is still on.  Having heard this repeatedly, the baby decided to do it right in age as for here there are no such restrictions.  The whole challenge that you have to cross multiple hills to reach the main temple, on your head you carry the offerrings for the lord (normally its jiggery, honey).  It is called “Iru-Mudi” and in this Knotted bag the devotees puts their PoojaSamagri such as Coconut,Ghee,Rice,Camphor etc., to offer the Lord Ayyappa Swami ! It takes almost a day for you to reach there and during these times millions of devotees, pilgrims are there on the eighteen hills of Sabarimala.  My salute to Hakshitha for taking this on her own and successfully completing it.  Not in a religious aspect, but I liked it in a way you bring discipline, control and purify your body and soul.  Though the medium may be god or his power, but if you believe at something and follow this is a great concept.  I just love it… may be next year OR when I don’t know but would like to do this atleast once. The other thing attracts me is only black attire all 41 days… no hair cut, no soap, shampoo and bath with only cold water …what a fun man. 

When I am writing this our dear Bala Vengamuni swamy invites me to his Mandalalm Pooja tomorrow @ Raichur where again his daughter Munikeerthana also did this and now travelling with him to Sabarimala.  I am keen and excited to do so but not sure if am able to join him. 

Hats off to both families for taking an extra effort to achieve this umimaginary mile stone.. wonderful it is. Bravo !!! 

Not that I am extremist or opposing any religion or its rituals.. but when we do have such a beautiful thing to do why do we have to follow others leaving behind this beautiful culture.  Lets practice it the way you can.  In todays competitive edge we all have lost ourselves in the crowd of earnings, savings, selfish motives, hate and what not.  This all will be vanished if we practice such things.  

So I say.. both our swamis are augmenting the spiritual culture… Good Luck !!!

Will try to join you next year….

Swami Saranam Ayyappa….

Sharad Puranik

Dec 14, 2022 Saidapur