Following the previous day’s mega event (Santhi Kalyana Mahothsavam), today was a day filled with devotion, cheer and fervour. On the seventh day of Samatha Kumbh 2025, two key events – Vasanthothsavam and Theppothsavam brought a lot of fun and frolic to the event. Here is a detailed report of today’s events.
Morning Aradhana was performed including chanting of Thiru Pallandu, Thiruppalliyezhuchchi and Thiruppavai. Veda, Purana, Itihasa, Stotra vinnapams were doing before Lord. Mangalasasanam to Perumal was done by HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji.
Swamiji gave a brief outline of today’s schedule and spoke about the importance of today’s events.
Sriman Nepal Krishnamacharya Swamiji gave details of Agama references while speaking about
Vasanthothsavam and other upcoming events of this Brahmothsavams.
Sevakalam concluded with Nithya Purnahuthi. Devotees then moved on to the main stage to experience next event, Vasanthothsavam.
This event is celebrated as explained in the texts of Sri Pancharatra Agama and Sri Prasna Samhitha. It is similar to Holi (the festival of colours) – that is offered as a service to God.
Lord Rama was given thaila abhyangam (oil shield) before applying sandalwood paste. Then Lord was showered with water mixed with herbs from a Kalasam. In second round, saffron paste covering was applied on Thirumeni (body) of Lord. In third round, camphor paste was applied.
All the pastes that were applied on Lord were carefully collected and preserved by Arachaka swamis, so that all the devotees can use it later for sprinkling each other and also get drenched in Lord’s grace – quite literally!
Lord was also showered with milk, curds, honey, etc. Turmeric paste also was applied and abhishekam offered after that. Various herbal colours were also offered to Lord.
These colours and other ingradients were provided to the devotees who wanted to sprinkle on themselves and each other.
Devotees then moved on to an open place earmarked outside the stage so that they could dance and sprinkle colours and water on each other to their hearts’ content.
The cultural programs of the afternoon started with dance performance by Kumari Anusha. She is pursuing her medicine degree and follows her passion for dance. She did a wonderful opening act for the song “Muddu gaare Yashoda”.
This was followed by Perini dance by disciples of Sriman Sandeep ji. Perini is a traditional dance form of Telangana state.
A group from Karimnagar district performed another traditional folk dance form – Oggu dolu. It combines music, dance, and acrobatics to tell stories about local heroes and gods.
Disciples of Sriman Ghantasala Pavan Kumar ji performed dance for Annamayya kriti “Thandanaana Bhala Thandanaana”
Another group of small children – all disciples of Sriman Sandeep ji – performed Perini dance form.
Kumari Alekhya, a disciple of Sriman Ghantasala Pavan Kumar ji, performed Kathak performance. She displayed a great mastery and control in her dance moves, while keeping two big plates in her hands.
Vedic students from our own JIVA campus performed a beautiful dance performance.
Sriman Ghantasala Pavan Kumar ji brought together many children from neighbourhood villages (thandas) of Divya Saketam and trained them over the weekends. They performed a dance ballet showing the life of Savitribai Rao Phule, the first woman teacher in Modern India. She along with her husband Jyotirao Phule opened a school for girls in the year 1848.
Students of MJB Gurukul performed a dance on Lord Rama to a fast beat.
Students of JyotiRao Phule school performed a dance ballet on Swami Ramanuja’s Statue of Equality.
Disciples of Smt. Bhavana performed ‘Goda Kalyanam’ dance performance in Kuchipudi dance form.
1,000 students trained by Sriman Ghantasala Pavan Kumar ji performed a dance ballet – “Sahasra Goda Vaibhavam”.
HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji spoke and congratulated Sriman Ghantasala Pavan Kumar ji and the entire team involved in this mega exercise.
Swamiji also announced a planned programme for upcoming Independence day celebrations in August 2025. The idea is to conduct a walkathon from Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad city till the Statue of Equality campus. The aim is that the participants of this walkathon will join the flag hoisting celebrations at 9 AM on 15 August 2025.
School children from different schools performed dance programs after this record event.
Theppotsavam is a divine ritual where the Lord and consort get in a small boat like structure (called ‘theppa’) and bless the devotees from there while cruising in a water body (pushkarini).It is also known by the Sanskrit name ‘Plavothsavam’.
During Brahmothsavams of this year, the boat was prepared in the shape of a lotus. Previous year it was in the shape of a huge fish. In the year preceding that (during first Brahmothsavams), it was in the shape of a Hamsa.
Sriman Nepal Krishnamacharya Swamiji spoke and explained the rationale behind Lotus shaped structure in a beautiful way. Both the Perumal (achyutha-bhanu) and Swami Ramanuja (Ramanuja-diwakara) are the ones which help lotus flower blossom.
HH Devanatha Jeeyar Swamiji spoke and gave another beautiful reason for lotus shape. God created everything from within a lotus that sprouted from His navel (naabhi-kamalam).
And He pervades its entirely to support it. Similarly, here Lord is seated inside the lotus as if to remind us about His connection with lotus. Lotus also happens to the place from which Mother Lakshmi emerged from the ocean, at the time of her birth. So Lord likes to stay put in His in-laws house.
HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji spoke and compared the pushkarini water with the desires in our hearts (trushna-thoye…). We need to let Perumal stay firm in our hearts, so that He can fulfil our desires and let us lead our lives as service to Him. Each one of us need to firmly establish the Lord and our Acharya in the lotus that is our own heart.
May Swami Ramanuja bless all of us!
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