MEDIA

DIVYA DESAMS

YAJNASALA

• Daily routine: The day at Ya:gasha:la started with ashta:kshari japam from 6:30 to 7:30am. ya:gam and isti were performed at 9 am followed by Poorna:huthi at around 1pm. Isti shalas have two ho:ma kundas – the one inside is like 1035 ya:ga ho:ma kundas but the one outside has new agnimadhanam / agnimukham every day.
• Prana prathista – It is a ceremonial invocation of the Supreme Lord into the deity. The uthsava murthis which were in pushpa mandapam until early this morning were placed in Divya Desams; prana prathista took place subsequently from 10 am till 1 pm today.
  Today was the commencement of the installation of deities in the 108 Divya Desams. 33 of 108 deities were installed today followed by a Havana and Gau-pooja (worship of the sacred cow).
• Acharya Upade:sam: HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji advised all attendees to take a parikrama – holy walk around the Ya:gasha:la and also to inhale the ho:ma dhu:pam for good health.

Quick numbers: Around 5000 ruthviks, 10,000 police and fire personnel were present at the venue.

PRAVACHANA MANDAPAM / MAIN STAGE

Note: National Level Artist events – To Be Added.

MAGICAL TUNES OF FLUTE FURROWS INTO LAYERS OF BHAKTHI!

The day started with devotees performing a:ra:dhana of Lord Sri Krishna at around 10 AM. HH Ashtakshari Sampath Kumara Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji and HH Sriramachandra Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji guided the devotees assembled, in performing this Sri Krishna puja.

Subsequently there were the following cultural events:

• A mystical flute rendition by Jayaprada Ramamurthy garu – SVBC Board member and a prominent musician. She is also astha:na vidushi mani for various peethams like Kanchi Peetham, Datta Peetham, Yadadri and Srisailam. She enthralled the audience with her high energy flute-recital. nagumomu kanaleni in aabheri raagam, vaishnava Janatho in memory of Late Latha Mangeshkarji, Enna Thapam in Ka:pi ra:gam left the audience in trance.
• Classical music and dance performance by students of Sri Sri Ravishanka ji’s The disciples of Smt. Nandini Vasu ji engaged the audience with their beautiful music and dance.

Discourses from eminent persons included:

• K Janakamma garu from Vijayanagaram, spoke about how Bhagavad Ramanuja is very similar to the moon (ra:ju) – drawing parallels from 5^th sarga of Sundara Kanda when the moon shines beautifully when Hanuman is searching for mother Sita in Lanka.
• Prof K Jayarama Reddy garu, Ex Vice Chancellor of S V University spoke about the relevance of path shown by Bhagavad Ramanuja in today’s world.
• Prof T Kishan Rao garu, Vice Chancellor of Potti Sriramulu University, spoke about “Veera Vaishnavam in Palna:du region”

THADIYARADHANA

• Today, for ba:la bho:gam (Breakfast), 22,000 people were served coconut rice, tamarind chutney and boondi (sweet).
• Ra:ja bho:gam (Lunch) was served to around 55,000 people until 3 PM. Menu included rice along with tomato dal, brinjal curry, potato curry, tomato rice, sambar, chutney, baadusha as sweet and butter milk.
• HH Ashta:kshari Sampath Kumara Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji explained the prescribed way to partake prasa:dam. Food should always be first offered to the Lord, this is called as ‘anu-ya:gam’.
  Sage Narada had asked Lord Srimannarayana once thus – “O Lord! Devotees offer you food in the process of a:ra:dhana. But none of it is consumed by You. How do we reconcile to this fact?” Lord then explained to him – “Na:rada! In My archa:vatha:ra, I consume food just by the eye-sight. So the moment the food is shown to vigraha, it is consumed by Me at sight”. Then Narada asked another question – “O God! This looks unfair. The devotees take so much trouble to make tasty food in so many varieties, for offering to You. They would like You to enjoy the taste and smell of food too. How is that done by You?”. God then explained – “Narada! I enjoy the taste and smell when my da:sas partake the prasa:dam”. 
  Hence, the prasa:dam we take should always be consumed keeping in mind that it is God in form of antharya:mi within us, that we are offering to. That ensures that we take food that is acceptable to Him.
• As part of evening snacks 15,000 people were served cut mirchi and Baadusha as sweet.
• Alpa:ha:ram (dinner) was served to nearly 26,000 people until 10 PM today. Menu included was white rice, white rice, brinjal masala curry, beetroot curry, sweet potato pickle, papad, vadiyalu and butter milk.  More than 30 Volunteers were fully involved in serving everyone while strictly following Covid norms.