Paranur Brahmothsavam - 2008

Nandhothsavam - The Celebration

Nandhothsavam is all about celebrating Kolahalan's Birth. It is a celebration of love. It starts with love, continues with love and ends with love, celebrating the descend of Sri.Krishna, the love personified, along with our beloved Anna who is the emperor of the kingdom of love !!! ( Prema Samrajya chakravarthy ). When love outpours the walls of caste, colour, religion, good, bad, Baktha, Abaktha, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, men, women, children are broken and only love remains everywhere submerging one and all. These things can be talked in Discourses by anyone worth the name, but can be seen, felt, enjoyed, immersed and drowned only in Bakthapuri or Paranur with our beloved SriSriAnna. At times when I type 'Anna' I mistakenly type 'Amma' meaning 'mother', for the keys 'm' and 'n' are nearby. But the love of Gurunathal is more than a Mothers love "thayinum Saala parindu'.      

Take your time to view each of the photos. Though they are just droplets of the outpour they can take us to that day at Parnur by Anna's grace. When Anna starts the celebration by pouring milk and curd all over, we can feel the excitement growing in us. Soon everyone are pouring milk, curd and water on one another, all are rushing towards Anna and the Nama "gopal, gopal, gopal, gopal" fills the air. Anna is dancing with his hands above the air, he runs around like a child, he lifts and kisses a child, he gets his face full of butter by eager devotees. All we need to do is just keep on running along with Anna and watching the action. Soon we forget that we are running, we forget who we are, we forget everything and we get immersed in the joy. Only a Mahapurusha can take us along with him to such unimaginable heights in a casual manner. 

The garlands that are prepared by devotees for Anna are just great. It was a big red,white and green garland laced with yellow at places that adorned SriSriAnna. It was a heavy garland. But one should see the way in which prabhu carried it. He even danced with it. The garland was swinging from side to side and it was a treat to our eyes. Anna stopped suddenly and the crowd parted to give way for Sri.Nagaraja Sasthrigal. It was a delight to see the union of these two old timers. It may be recalled that it was Nagaraja mama who first brought Anna to Paranur. After seeing to it that mama went out of the crowd safely ( he does it everytime a old person or child comes to him in the crowd !!) SriAnna continued running. He was holding the ends of the huge garland in his hands and swinging them above his head while continuing to run. It was a great spectacle to see him run with joy in this manner till he threw the garland to the crowd.

Soon a big and very green thulasi garland came. The love the devotees have for Anna is so much that they want him to wear beautiul garlands. They take great care to specially prepare these garlands. This particular Thulasi Garland was so beautifull. It was very thick and long and made with love. When Anna wore it, it came upto his feet. Anna walked majestically with this wonderful garland. He threw this garland also to the crowd and continued running aroung the streets of paranur.

Devotees had brought lots of butter and soon Anna's face was full of butter. He would allow some devotees to smear the butter on him, he would snatch the butter and smear back on some, he would run away from some, he would eat the butter from the hands of some, he would feed the butter for some, he would throw the butter on some and so it was butter on the faces of Anna and all the devotees. The whole place smelled of butter. Soon a orange 'kanakambaram' garland was worn. Two or three jasmine garlands followed and the combination of orange and white garlands along with the butter looked great. Wherever Anna ran, the crowd of devotees surrounded him and everyone enjoyed every moment. A group of boys were playing their vadhyams and singing 'gopal gopal gopal' and dancing. They followed Anna and the devotees.

Anna reached the streets of paranur where the poor and simple villagers lived. They welcomed Anna with joy. He was given milk or curd in almost all the houses. He would gladly drink what they gave. He would then give them some back as prasadh. No one knows how much butter he ate, how much milk and buttermilk and curd he  drank that day. It was his overflowing love that made him do it. He could not refuse anyone. People talk of equality. They just talk. But here love is a great equaliser. Anna sees only love and nothing else. He accepts whatever the villagers offer him. Anna usually says in his discourse "Equality among humans is only possible in devotion or Bakthi". He not only talks but he teaches us by living it.

Our photographer is always keen on snaping Anna's holy feet. When this photograph above was downloaded we saw a great light emanating from Anna's feet. We know that no miracle can amuse a premika Baktha for they are with the greatest miracle - "The Everflowing love of Premikan", but we thought of  just adding this picture. For us devotees it is this 'Paadam' that gives us all we want. We need no more than these SriSri Paadams. So why not add another paadam photo to our collection.

A half of Paranur had been covered and now Anna tied his dhothi up. This was an indication that he was going to run faster. Experienced devotees got ready for it. He was slowly walking and they knew that it was the first step before running. A devotee brought a bag of choclate and he threw the choclates into the crowd. All the devotees wanted to have one, and everone tried to catch. In the melee that followed Anna started to run.

The pictures clearly show how Anna started running and how the devotees reacted. In no time he gathered speed. All the boys protecting Anna in the front tried to catch up with him. He ran faster than them. Soon he ran past our photographer and entered into Narasimhan's house.

Narasimhan's was a devout premika kudumbam. His father started serving food to all the Bagavathas coming to Paranur. Narasimhan continues this great service after his father. Anna visits Narasimhan's house during every Nandhothsavam celebration. The Narasimhan family welcomed Anna with jasmine garlands and lots of butter. He ate all the butter they gave. They also smeared lots of butter on him. Anna blessed all of the family and came out.

Anna went into one of the inroads of paranur. It is a very narrow road with huts along both sides. The villagers were mainly farmers. They led a simple life and had great love for Anna. Their love for him pulls him into their street. In some houses they do paadha Pooja for Anna. They draw kolams to welcome him. They perform very simple but memorable paadha poojas for Anna. The ladies pour water from a vessel while the gents gently clean the paadam. Then the lady decorates the feet with sandal paste and kumkum. They shower flowers on the Paadam. They show Deepa Harathi for Anna. The whole ritual gets over in a few minutes. They do not delay Anna. Their love is simply amazing. 

The above sequence of photos were taken from back. It shows Anna running inside the narrow street. The villagers come into his way to get his blessings and he stops abruptly. He knows when someone is finding it difficult to come inside. He will make way for them, wait for them to offer their prayers and then he will start running. Everyone used to wonder how Anna could sense someone coming inside to see him, even when he was running and even when he was surrounded by a big crowd. When a calf comes to its mother the cow's teats start secreting milk on just seeing its child. Similarly when a guru sees his devotee coming he could smell the love and he would run towards the devotee to pour his love and grace. A guru's love and compassion is infinite.

Anna was now walking. A beautifully and closely tied jasmine garland with a single pink rose found its place in Anna's shoulders. He was full of smiles. The villagers flocked him. They put their children on his feet. The street will be burning hot. But they put their children in Anna's feet in that hot street. Almost all their children have been named by Anna. They pray at Anna's feet and lift the child.

A poor and old lady brought a small plate with a tumbler of milk.Even her dress was torn. Anna stopped and she came to him. He drank the milk she offered. He sprinkled some of it on her. She left with tears in her eyes. Another old lady offered some fresh butter in a small banana leaf. Anna took it from her and gave the butter to all the kids around him. When Anna was about to start another old lady a devotee who is usually seen near Kolahalan temple came in. Anna waited patiently for her. He blessed her, saw to it that she safely went out of the crowd and then proceeded.

Our Photgrapher was rather proud of his talent. He would go near Anna to take snaps and when Anna was about to spray milk or curd he would turn away at the right time. He prided himself for being so clever. Anna was drinking curd given by a villager. As he was drinking from the tumbler his eyes were looking at our photographer. He got thrilled and started taking snaps. Anna's eyes twinkled, smiled and made several exciting Bhavas. Our man got carried away and was just clicking. In a sudden planned movement Anna sprayed the curd and lo!! the camera turned white, covered full of curd. All the devotees laughed and our photographer ran away. That probably is the reason these photos still smell of curd !! The camera still works perfectly. 

A thulasi maala now added to the jasmines. We devotees are never tired of seeing his beauty. We enjoy if a garland is worn, we enjoy if he removes it in style, we enjoy if he is bare chested without even a single garland, we enjoy every single thing about him. We repeatedly write and talk about the same thing. We have so far not got bored or tired of it. The more we talk about him the more we still want to talk. See him with the thulasi maala. See the look in his eyes. See the smile in his face. This is the premika Bagavatham written in the hearts of  prema, premika Bakthas !!

Thulasi gives us Bakthi. The thulasi garland took Anna into a great Bhava. His arms went up and the dance began. All the devotees surrounded him. "Gopal Gopal Gopal Gopal' was all that was heard all around. Anna was dancing in simple steps. His arms went up and down. His legs went wide and then came together. For nearly fifteen minutes the dance went on after which Anna started again.

The second part of Nandhothsavam was coming to an end only to start the exciting final part. Some devotees gave a towel and Anna cleaned himself. The devotees relaxed. The running was after all over. Anna was relaxing. He cleaned himself. The devotees were singing "Gopal Gopal Gopal Gopal" in a relaxed tone. Suddenly Anna started running. He ran at top speed towards kolahalan temple. The celebration was not yet over .......  

Dwajarohanam  Sheshavahanam Nandhothsavam-Onjal Nandhothsavam-Celebration Nandhothsavam-Final