By Smt. Rajalakshmi Sriman
Adiyen had the immeasurable bhagyam of witnessing the Thirumanjanam of Andal and Rangamannar at proximity during the Thirukkalyanam this year.
The Divya Dampati were clad in pristine white vastram — pure, unembellished, luminous. That white was not mere cloth; it symbolised saulabhyam and karunyam. Without alankaram, their divya mangala vigraham shone with a tender, childlike beauty. It felt as though they had chosen to reveal themselves in their most approachable form — accepting our humble kainkaryam with grace.
As the Thirumanjanam began, the sacred dravyas were offered one by one — cool chandanam, pure milk, auspicious manjal, sweet honey. Each substance carried both fragrance and meaning. And as all this was happening, the Vedas were being chanted. The cadence of the chanting filled the space with a profound stillness. It was not merely sound — its vibration reverberating in the room. As the mantras echoed and the abhishekam flowed, one could truly feel that this was not a mere household gathering, but a divine assembly.
With every mantra, with every offering, their glow seemed to deepen. Their faces appeared softer, brighter — almost as though they were responding to both the sacred waters and the sacred sound. In our sampradayam, we understand that Bhagavan is Veda-svarupa. To bathe Him while the Vedas resound is to unite form and sound in perfect harmony.
Standing there, I was reminded of how our acharyas have described such moments — when kainkaryam is done with shraddha and accompanied by Veda parayanam, even a small home becomes a divya desam. The fragrance of chandanam mingled with the vibration of the mantras. The white vastram, now gently damp, seemed to enhance their luminous presence. Time itself felt suspended.
To behold Andal and Rangamannar in that serene state — bathed in sacred dravya, enveloped in Vedic sound, glowing with visible joy — was an experience that words can scarcely capture. Such Thirumanjanam is not merely a ritual; it is prapatti expressed through action. It is our offering of body, speech, and mind — dravya through hands, mantra through speech, bhakti through heart.
May we ever be granted the fortune of such darshan and such kainkaryam.
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha
No responses yet