This was one place where my March 15 sadhayam akka had gone many times and promised to take me at least there once, but I could never get the chance. It was just 2+ hours from my place by bus. Almost a decade went by without ever going to this temple once.
Recently, mom had kept an article on Srirangam being Shukra sthala in a Vaikunta Ekadashi special edition for my perusal. I found Gunaseelam listed as one of the nearby places and I at once asked mom to accompany me. So the trip was planned for a Thursday. I wrapped a chrome yellow–sepia pashmina stole for the evening over my mambala manjal-maroon border mysore silk.
We boarded a bus around 3 pm and reached the temple just after 5 pm. It was a small temple and the mentally challenged inmates had a separate building to the right of the temple entrance. Devotees can't light lamps inside apparently, so we just offered kind of jasmine flowers. It was time for the evening pooja for those people. After few minutes of waiting, when I started reading VSN etched on granite by the left side, the poojari allowed us in.
We had a divine darshan of Prasanna Ventakachalapathy and it was blissful experience. It felt too good in the shrine with so much of good vibrations in such proximity. After a pradakshina, I sat outside, waiting for the evening pooja to commence, so that we could savour lord’s darshan once more. The mentally challenged inmates arrived and a guy directed the others to line up separately. After the daily evening pooja behind screens, the inmates were let inside and blessed. After maha arathi darshan, I left the place with a heavy heart. It was too good there next to the lord in his refreshing tulasi garlands.
We caught the same bus while returning. My jihva started playing games and I urged mom to take me to Dominos pizza, where we ended up ruining our health and wealth. Need to curb my once in a bluemoon pizza treats which is getting increasingly regular.
Recently, mom had kept an article on Srirangam being Shukra sthala in a Vaikunta Ekadashi special edition for my perusal. I found Gunaseelam listed as one of the nearby places and I at once asked mom to accompany me. So the trip was planned for a Thursday. I wrapped a chrome yellow–sepia pashmina stole for the evening over my mambala manjal-maroon border mysore silk.
We boarded a bus around 3 pm and reached the temple just after 5 pm. It was a small temple and the mentally challenged inmates had a separate building to the right of the temple entrance. Devotees can't light lamps inside apparently, so we just offered kind of jasmine flowers. It was time for the evening pooja for those people. After few minutes of waiting, when I started reading VSN etched on granite by the left side, the poojari allowed us in.
We had a divine darshan of Prasanna Ventakachalapathy and it was blissful experience. It felt too good in the shrine with so much of good vibrations in such proximity. After a pradakshina, I sat outside, waiting for the evening pooja to commence, so that we could savour lord’s darshan once more. The mentally challenged inmates arrived and a guy directed the others to line up separately. After the daily evening pooja behind screens, the inmates were let inside and blessed. After maha arathi darshan, I left the place with a heavy heart. It was too good there next to the lord in his refreshing tulasi garlands.
We caught the same bus while returning. My jihva started playing games and I urged mom to take me to Dominos pizza, where we ended up ruining our health and wealth. Need to curb my once in a bluemoon pizza treats which is getting increasingly regular.
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