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TogglePranaya Kalahotsavam in Tirumala Sri Vari temple
Krite Narasimhastu |
Tretayam Raghunandanaha |
Dwapare Vasudevastu |
Kalou Venkata Nayakaha ||
Different Gods were presiding during different yugams Namely –
- in Krutayuga, Lord Narasimha was the main presiding deity.
- in Tretayuga, Lord Rama was the main presiding deity
- during Dwaparayuga, Lord Krishna was the presiding deity and
- during Kaliyuga (the present) yuga Lord Venkateswara is the presiding deity.
Lord Venkateswara is eulogized in all the Puranas, Rigveda, Alwar Divyaprabandhams, and the great acharyas like Ramanuja and Vedanta Desika have written verses in praise of Lord Srinivasa to seek His Blessings.
Festivals in Tirumala
Lord Venkateswara is the most powerful God attracting lakhs of people to His Abode as He is the Lord to save the people in Kaliyuga. Compared to other yugas, Dharma (righteousness) will be at a lower ebb and people will suffer a lot. Hence to redeem or save good people, Lord Venkateswara has taken a vow that those who surrender to Him will get solace and protection from His grace.
So the Lord of seven Hills is giving Darshan to all His devotees day and night with little time to sleep. There are a lot of festivals in Tirumala Temple to witness. Those Festivals are daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.
Among such festivals,
- Brahmotsavam,
- Ugadi Asthanam,
- Anivara Asthanam,
- Deepavali Asthanam,
- Adhyayanotsavam,
- Pranayakalahotsavam etc. are Annual festivals.
Pranayakalaham was very common in families and otherwise also as husband and wife come to a mock quarrel due to misunderstanding and try to blame each other. In such conditions, the hero tries to pacify his wife or queen with reasonable excuses but the queen will continue to show her displeases, and finally some compromise is made and both of them join together.
In Tirumala Srivari Temple
In Srivari Temple also there is the annual festival ‘Pranayakalahotsavam’ between Sri Malayappaswami and His Consorts takes place. This festival is celebrated from December - January every year. On the day of Pranaya Kalahotsavam the Lord Malayappaswami will be taken around the mada streets of Varahaswami temple.
The Lord will be made to wait for the arrival of His two Consorts. The Adyapakaghoshti led by Jeeyarswamies, Acharyapurushas, and his Adhyapakas will go in front of the Lord reciting ‘Siriya Tiru Madal’ of Tirumangai Alwar. Saint Tirumangai Alwar was a great devotee and composed many poems in Tamil Prabandham called Tirumozhi. He has composed 74 stanzas called (pasurams) known as Siriya Tirumadal.
He turns himself into a lady Bhakta or beloved and in his Tirumadal woos the Lord to marry and the separation from the Lord is unbearable and could do any harsh sacrifice to achieve Him (The Lord). The above 74 pasurams will be recited by Jeeyar goshti while coming with the Lord Malayappaswami and conclude it opposite to Varahaswami Temple in the East Mada street.
Both Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi decked with jewels and flowers will be brought before the lord on the opposite side at 10 to 15 yards distance.
There two priests on either side stand and start reading dialogues composed by Parasara Bhattar, a great Bhakta of Lord Ranganatha. The dialogues are written in Tamil. Here, there will be the flower ball play. Once the Lord while playing with His consorts with the flower ball catches the ball and suddenly disappears as he hears the crying sound of a Bhakta at a distance and rushes away with the ball.
After a long time, he returns with his ball in hand to resume the play but the Devies refuse to play with Him as he has played with someone else and the ball in his hand is not theirs. The Lord pleads His innocence and narrates the reason for his disappearance. But they (His Consorts) refuse to accept His valid reasons and finally, there is a truce and they join together.
Bhagawat Ramanuja comes to solve their dispute
Here at Tirumala one for Malayappaswami and another for Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi will deliver the dialogue accusing each other and many promises will be made by Lord Malayappaswami. His Consorts refuse to accept as they are not to be left out even if it is Bhakta.
They argue that their main purpose is to support the devotees along with Him and He can not solve their problems as they are more kind than Him. When the quarrel continues Bhagawat Ramanuja comes to solve their dispute.
He tells both the Lord and Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi that they are inseparable and there should not be any clash between them. He makes both of them to come together and the mock quarrel between God and Goddesses comes to a happy end. Then both of them have Mangala Harati and enter the temple together.
During the quarrel, the Devies throw nine flower balls at the Lord and Malayappaswami runs back to escape from the balls as they are forcibly thrown at Him. There is a belief in the devotees that those who led balls are a good sign behind and they will get married.
Our ancestors have arranged such festivals to be observed by the public so that they learn that quarrels or misunderstandings between wife and husband are common even in best-regulated families. But it is to end keeping all the egoistic tendencies apart. Children should not suffer due to the fight between father and mother.
Bhagavat Ramanuja appeals to Divya Dampathies to close their quarrel as their children will suffer (all of us).
