Srirangam Uriyadi Celebrations

Sharp at 7am on Friday (Sept 8) morning, Lord Krishna began his procession from his Sannidhi at the South end of the Kili Mandapam. The procession around the four Chitra Streets is marked by the presentation of the oil to the devotees who applied it on their head and ‘Mochai Sundal’. Devotees also lined up in front of their homes to present oil to the Lord. After a break of three years, Saathatha Vaishnava Sridhar http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/12/saathaatha-vaishnavas-saathaanis.html) is back after a long battle with his family members and securing an order from the HR & CE to continue his Kainkaryam of carrying the Velli Thadi during the processions. By 9am, the handsome looking Krishna was back at his abode for a well earned rest.

At 3pm, for the only day in the year, Lord Namperumal joined Krishna in his birthday celebrations as the two provided a joint darshan on the Therku Vaasal. It was 4pm by the time the two parked themselves at the Yadava ‘Uriyadi’ Mandapam on the banks of the Cauvery. By this time, the Yadava Clan had already positioned themselves at the junction of the South Chitra Street and Therku Vaasal presenting the sacredy hymns. It was the big day in the year for them. In centuries gone by, the descendents of the Yadava clan would climb the tree on the South Chitrai Street just in the way a young child Krishna would  to pick up his favourite eats. However this has been done away with in recent decades. 

Now as part of the Uriyadi Utsavam, the favourite eats of Krishna are loaded on to the pots and placed atop the temporary Panthal. 

The road from Srirangam to Amma Mandapam is packed with peak hour evening traffic and Maniyam Sridhar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/03/srirangam-temple-time-keeper.html) is not happy with vehicles flowing on both sides of the road. He asks the drivers as to how they expected Namperumal to enjoy the procession if the vehicles did not make way for the Lord to  proceed. But the commuters are not interested for they have a destination to reach and thus Namperumal and Krishna have to wade through the traffic for the Uriyadi Procession that started at 7pm. 

 

A huge crowd has gathered in at the South Chitra Street to watch the Yadavas break the pot. After an hour long procession around the Chitra Streets, Namperumal stationed him on the South Chitra Street near the Therku Vaasal even Krishna moved forward to watch the excited Yadavas in action. The Veda Ghosti and Araiyars are presented with Paanagam, Paruppu and Sandal Paste. Soon after the pot was broken, Krishna dashed off into the Ranganathaswamy temple and back to his abode in a matter of minutes in a symbolic gesture of grabbing his dishes. 

Devotees stayed back in good numbers to watch Namperumal make his way back to his abode through the Arya Bhattar Vaasal at 9pm.