2019.05.01 SEEBI NARASIMHASWAMY TEMPLE

Brief History :

Seebi (Sibi), is a small village, located about 20 kilometres to the north of Tumkur district in Karnataka. Seebi is 24 km south of Sira. Seebi was the vanaprastra ashram of Shibi Chakravarthy, the grandson of Prahlad Maharaj. Shibi Chakravarthy wanted to worship Lord Narasimha and in return Lord Narasimha enshrined himself as Narasimha Shaligrama here. 

The main deity is shaped larger than a linga, and is facing north east here. There is no visuals of Narasimha and it is the Shaligrama that is worshipped.

Goddes Lokamba devi resides in the prakara of the temple. For unmarried boys and girls, there is a strong beleif that if a kalyanostavam is performed she bestows a spouse very fast.

Subsequently, this Shaligrama was also worshipped by Lord Sri Rama, for begetting issues. It is also said that Chandrahasa, the then king of Kuntala also worshipped the Narasimha Shaligrama for removal of obstacles.

In 1797 in the erstwhile Mysore state Fauzdar Nallapa, A brahmin Fauzdar in Mummudi KrishnaRaja Wodeyar, was intending to build a temple in memory of his mother (Alamellamma – who practised sati) and his father Kacheri Krishniah. Narasimhaswamy appeared in a dream to Nallappa and directed him to build a temple and worship him in Seebi as he was not being worshipped. The temple took 10 years to build. The temple is painted with themes of Ramayana, Mahabharatha and Dashavatara which have eroded over time.

There is a Kalyani (Water Tank) called Gaja Pushkarini near the temple. It is said that the Gajendra Moksha episode happened here. 

Bramharatotsava is performed on Maasa Nakshatra, poorva palguna nakshatra of Magha Maasa. A grand Jaatre-Festival is conducted 3 days before and 3 days after the Bramharatotsava.

Annual Special Days like Brahmostava, Mahabisheka, Kalyanostava etc :

This is the main entrance to Seebi Narasimha Temple. The roads winds in from Sira to Bangalore. The Seebi Temple entrance is on the left side.

According to the British Raj era historian and Epigraphist B. Lewis Rice: 

Once a merchant carrying grain on bullocks stopped at Sibi. When a pot of grain was boiled on a projecting rock, its color turned blood red causing the merchant, his attendants and the buffalos to blackout. While in the unconscious state, the god Narasimha appeared in the merchant's dream and informed him the rock was his abode and that the merchant should build a temple for him at that spot as compensation for damaging his abode.

A small temple was thus built by the merchant. In more recent times, the consecration of a larger temple over the pre-existing shrine was taken up by three wealthy brothers: Lakshminarasappa, Puttanna and Nallappa who were the sons of Kacheri Krishnappa, a Dewan in the court of King Tipu Sultan of the Mysore Kingdom.

This temple is managed by a family of priests over the generations; they are now making an effort restore the sculptures & paintings of the temple to its original shape.  They have roped in sculptors from Archeological Survey of India (ASI) who have begun work of restoring the sculptures, but are yet to find quality professionals to restore the beautiful paintings.

Murals on a temple sealing

 Murals are painting or other work of art executed directly on a wall.

Up on entering the main temple complex of Seebi Narashima Swamy Temple, surprise waiting on its sealing. Along with murals depicting mythologies are also those which show Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali in the royal court.

These paintings that date back to late 18th century in the temple now fading away with little effort at restoration. According to the sources known, the paintings are in a mixed style of Tanjore, Mysuru, Maratha and Vijayanagara, according to scholars. The majority of the paintings are in a sad state of affairs some still carry the tinge of delicacy and softness, discernible only to shrewd eyes.

During our visit, the visibility of the painting was very bad, upon discussion with the some knowledgable people, the following points were learned

Paintings, which can be called historical, are very similar to Daria Daulat Bagh paintings in Srirangapatna.

There were painting wall of the gateway (Mahadwara) and might have undergone some repair work a few years ago, when a portion of the paintings got covered. There is long inscription of which only half remains.

The panel consists of three rows.

The first one appears to contain some very strange depictions probably from Krishna leela.

In the second row is seated Karnik Nallappa in the court of Krishnaraja Wodeyar

The third row depicts the court of Haidar Ali

Accoding to some sources, the picture of Krishnaraja Wodeyar along with those of Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan puts us into some confusion as to the exact date of the paintings.  It is possible that the picture of Wodeyar was incorporated later. If we take the style adopted in the religious panels we can say that the paintings belong to early 19th century.

One very interesting panel is on the ceiling of the gateway. The figures depicted in this panel are skillfully drawn and well composed when viewed separately, but do not coalesce in totality. The figures do not have any connection with each other;

Shibi rishi performs his austerities while Krishna plays on his flute as his shepherd friends look on.

According to some local historian, the paintings also describe Tipu standing in the middle of a forest and are in the act of performing a most difficult task. With a sword in his right hand he is attacking a tiger and with his left hand he is stabbing a boar with a long spear. Apart from these two acts he is also stamping with his left foot a venomous snake to death. The artist and the person who commissioned these paintings were obviously of the opinion that Tipu Sultan was a good-mannered and brave hunter. The identity of Tipu is unmistakable. It is possible that he frequented this place for his favourite tiger hunting.

Surrounding this panel are four beams of procession scenes. (Whether the procession belongs to Tipu?).

The paintings at Sibi also have some interesting factors worth mentioning. The temple itself is a simple structure, but the paintings inside are abundant and in character quite extraordinary. As they are situated on the ceiling, they have been well protected from weather conditions and vandalism.

Saligrama

Saligrama

Saligramas are mostly black coloured stones with marks, and are the fossilized remains of now extinct sea dwelling ammonites.

Hence they are found in river beds and other regions that were once underwater, the most popular being the Himalayas and Nepal.

Historically, the use of Saligrama Shilas in worship can be traced to the time of Adi Shankara through the latter's works. Specifically, his commentary to the verse 1.6.1 in Taittiriya Upanishad and his commentary to the verse 1.3.14 of the Brahma Sutras suggest that the use of Saligrama in the worship of Vishnu has been a well-known Hindu practice.

A good number of false shaligrams too remain in circulation. Since they were underwater, the belief that these creatures only ate tulsi leaves is a myth.

The largest and heaviest Shaligrama can be seen at the Jagannath Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, at Puri in Orissa.

The main ISKCON temple in Scotland, called 'Karuna Bhavan' is famous for housing the largest number of Shaligram Shilas outside of India.

Configurations

A Saligrama – which has the marks of a shankha, Chakra, gadha and padma arranged in a particular pattern with the change in the order of the four symbols, the name of the Saligrama stone is also change.

Twenty four patterns have been identified and are named accordinly

The various versions of the Saligrama Shilas (the patterns of the four symbols are)

1.      Shanka, chakra, gadha and padma – Keshava

2.      Padma, gadha, chakra, shanka – Narayana

3.      Chakra, shanka, padma and gadha – Madhava

4.      Gadha, padma, shanka and chakra – Govinda

5.      Padma, shanka, chakra and gadha – Vishnu

6.      Shanka, padma, gadha, chakra – Madusudhana

7.      gadha, chakra, shanka and padma – Trivikrama

8.      Chakra, gadha, padma, shanka – Vamana

9.      Chakra, padma, shanka, gadha – Shridhara

10.  Padma, gadha, shanka, charka – Hrishikesh

11.  Padma, chakra, gadha, shanka – Padmanabha

12.  Shanka, chakra, gadha, padma – Damodara

13.  Chakra, shanka, gadha, padma – Sankarshana

14.  Shanka, chakra, padma, gadha – Pradyumna

15.  gadha, shanka, padma, charka – Aniruddha

16.  Padma, shanka, gadha, chakra – Purushottama

17.  Gadha, shanka, chakra, padma – Adhokshaja

18.  Padma, gadha, shanka, chakra – Narasimha

19.  Padma, chakra, shanka, gadha – Achyuta

20.  Shanka, chakra, padma, gadha – Janardana

21.  Gadha, padma, shanka, chakra – Upendra

22.  Chakra, padma, gadha and shanka – Hari

23.  Gadha, padma, chakra and shanka – Krishna

24.  Shanka, chakra, padma, gadha – Vasudeva

Mythological Story of Saligrama:

It was due to a curse that Lord Vishnu turned into a stone and hence Lord Vishnu is often worshipped in many places in the form of a black stone. A curse so powerful that even the most powerful God, one among the trinity could not do anything but accept it. Lord Vishnu received this curse from one of His most loyal devotee, Vrinda. (original name of Tulasi, Krishan’ s Vrindavana – to be recalled - )

The mythological tale of the Saligrama stone is interesting. It is a story of arrogance, devotion, love and betrayal. The God tricked His most loyal devotee and earned a curse for Himself in return.

Jalandhar: A Part Of Shiva

There was once a demon king named Jalandhar. He was born out of the flames which emanated from Lord Shiva's third eye. He was married to the demon princess named Vrinda. Vrinda loved Jalandhar very dearly and was a devoted wife. Her devotion, loyalty and chastity made Jalandhar unbeatable.

Jalandhar was against the Gods and chased them out of the heaven. He established his own kingdom. The Gods went praying to Lord Vishnu and Shiva for help. Shiva knew that He could never defeat Jalandhar because he was a part of Shiva Himself. Yet, Lord Shiva went on to fight with Jalandhar. The battle continued for years but Lord Shiva could not defeat Jalandhar because of the protection which was provided by Vrinda's chastity and devotion for her husband.

Vrinda: The Greatest Devotee Of Vishnu

In spite of being the demon princess and wife of the demon king, Vrinda worshiped Lord Vishnu. She was a dedicated and staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu and prayed to Him with all her faith.

Vishnu's Betrayal

When the Gods saw that even Lord Shiva could not defeat Jalandhar, they turned to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu could not do anything other than playing a trick to damaging Vrinda's chastity. He disguised Himself as Jalandhar and stood in front of Vrinda. Vrinda could not recognise Lord Vishnu and thought Jalandhar had returned. She ran into his arms and soon realised that it was not Jalandhar. Her chastity was maligned and the protection of Jalandhar was destroyed. As a result Lord Shiva killed Jalandhar in no time.

Vrinda's Curse

Realizing her mistake, Vrinda asked Lord Vishnu to show His real form. She was shattered to see that she was tricked by her own Lord. Seeing Lord Vishnu disguising as Jalandhar and tricking her to break her chastity, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu. She gave the curse that Lord Vishnu would turn into a stone. Lord Vishnu accepted the curse and He turned into the Saligrama stone. Vrinda was also heart broken and decided to end her life.

Tulsi's Boon

Lord Vishnu accepted the curse as He felt guilty of betraying His greatest devotee. So, He gave Vrinda a boon that from her ashes the plant of Tulsi would be born and the plant would get married to the Saligrama stone.

This way her chastity would not be maligned and she would stay with Lord Vishnu forever. Vishnu also said that he would never accept food without Tulsi and therefore Vishnu's prasadam is always offered with a leaf of Tulsi in it.

Saligrama’s Marriage With Tulsi

ಸಲಿಗ್ರಾಮಾ

ಸಾಲಿಗ್ರಾಮದ ಒಂದು ಕಿರು ಪರಿಚಯ 

ಸಲಿಗ್ರಾಮಾವು ಒಂದು ಬಗೆಯ ಪಳೆಯುಳಿಕೆಗೊಳಿಸಿದ ಕಲ್ಲು. 

ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ ಚಿಹ್ನೆಯಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತು ವಿಷ್ಣುವಿನ ರೂಪವೆಂದು ಕೆಲವು ಹಿಂದೂಗಳು ಪೂಜಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. 

Sringeri Sharada Peetham

On 30th March 2017, We visited "Sringeri Sharada Peetham"

Sringeri Sharada Peetha is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha established by Sree Adi Shankara in 8^th  century AD.

The matha is on the banks of the Tunga River in Chikkamagalur district, Karnataka, India, 257 KM from Tumkur.

History

Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada established the first of the four Amnaya Peethams at Sringeri more than twelve centuries ago to foster the sacred tradition of Sanatana Dharma. He was on the look-out for a convenient and holy place where he could establish an institution to spread the truths of Advaita Vedanta.

When the Acharya came to Sringeri, he saw an unusual sight on the banks of the Tunga - a cobra was seen spreading out its hood over a frog in labour pains, to give it shadow from the scorching mid-day sun. Struck with the sanctity of the place, which could infuse love between natural adversaries, the Acharya chose this very location to establish His first Math.

Sri Kappe Shankara – A Shrine on the banks of the Holy Tunga river in memory to the

glorious sight witnessed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya; A serpent giving shade  from the
scorching sun to a pregnant frog in labour pains

Lineage of Gurus

Sl No	Jagadgurus of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham	Period of Reign (CE)
1.	Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada	820 (videha-mukti)
2.	Sri Sureshwaracharya	820 – 834
3.	Sri Nityabodaghana	834-848
4.	Sri Jnanaghana	848 – 910
5.	Sri Jnanottama	910 – 954
6.	Sri Jnanagiri	954 – 1038
7.	Sri Simhagiri	1038 – 1098
8.	Sri Ishwara Tirtha	1098 – 1146
9.	Sri Nrisimha Tirtha	1146 – 1229
10.	Sri Vidya Tirtha	1229 – 1333
11.	Sri Bharati Tirtha	1333 – 1380
12.	Sri Vidyaranya	1380 – 1386
13.	Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati I	1386 – 1389
14.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati I	1389 – 1408
15.	Sri Puroshottama Bharati I	1408 – 1448
16.	Sri Shankara Bharati	1448 – 1455
17.	Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati II	1455 – 1464
18.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati II	1464 – 1479
19.	Sri Puroshottama Bharati II	1479 – 1517
20.	Sri Ramachandra Bharati	1517 – 1560
21.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati III	1560 – 1573
22.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati IV	1573 – 1576
23.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati V	1576 – 1600
24.	Sri Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati	1600 – 1623
25.	Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I	1623 – 1663
26.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati VI	1663 – 1706
27.	Sri Sacchidananda Bharati II	1706 – 1741
28.	Sri Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati I	1741 – 1767
29.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati VII	1767 – 1770
30.	Sri Sacchidananda Bharati III	1770 – 1814
31.	Sri Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati II	1814 – 1817
32.	Sri Nrisimha Bharati VIII	1817 – 1879
33.	Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati	1879 – 1912
34.	Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati III	1912 – 1954
35.	Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha	1954 – 1989
36.	Sri Bharati Tirtha	1989 – Present
37.	Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati	Successor-Designate

The Math houses following temples:

1.      Sri Sharadamba -        

·         The ancient temple of Sri Sharada, the head goddess of Sringeri has a glorious history that begins with the setting up of the Dakshinamnaya Peetham by Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada.

·         Originally it was an modest shrine with the Murti of Sharada made of sandalwood, installed over the Sri Chakra carved on a rock by Sri Adi Shankara.

·         Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha (11^th Guru) and Sri Vidyaranya (12^th Guru) had a temple built in the Kerala style, with timber and tiled roof.

·         Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha substituted the sandalwood idol with the present golden idol.

·         The original idol of Sri Sharadamba in sandalwood, is now housed in the temple of Sri Vidyashankara at Sringeri.

2.      Sri Torana Ganapati:

·         The Jagadgurus of Sringeri used to stay near the Shankaracharya temple in Sringeri.

·         On one occasion, the Jagadguru Sri Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji (32^nd Guru) had a vision of the Ganapati when he was thinking on resolving and issues in the mutt affairs.

·         He offered His prayer by offering a dhurva to the image of Lord Ganapati carved on the Torana of the door nearby, and the problem got resolved.

·         Since then, the Ganapati has come to be worshipped as Torana Ganapati.

·         Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji (33^rd Guru) offer his prayers and dhurva everyday to Sri Torana Ganapati.

·         Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekara Bharati Mahaswamiji (34^th Guru) offered Torana Ganapati silver kavacha.

·         Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Swamiji (35^th Guru) organized for the nitya puja.

·         Jagadguru Sri Bharati thirtha  Mahaswamiji (36^th Guru) got the reconstruction of the place and has offered a Golden kavacham.

3.      Sri Vidyashankara:

·         10^th Guru of the Matth-  Vidyashankara or Vidyathirtha, who was the head of this Peetham for a period of 105 years from 1228 CE to 1333 CE is considered to be one of the greatest Gurus of this Peetham.

·         12^th Guru – Vidyaranya who headed the peetham was another extraordinary leader, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire,

·         The Vidyashankara temple at Sringeri was built in memory of 10^th Guru Vidyashankara or Vidyathirtha by Sree Vidyaranya, with the aid of the Vijayanagar rulers in the 14th century.

·         The golden image of Sarada was also installed then at the Sarada temple.

·         The temple also houses ruby images of Venugopala and Srinivasa and a Nandi made out of a large pearl. Several inscriptions are seen in the temple, describing contributions made by the Vijayanagar emperors.

Architectural features

·         This temple combines the Hoysala and Dravida architectural features.

·         It stands on a richly sculptured basement.

·          There are six doorways leading into the temple.

·         The twelve pillars in the mandapam are named the Raasi pillars, and are so arranged that the sun's rays fall on each of them, in the order of the solar months.

·         Each column also has a large Rearing lion, with non removable rolling stone balls in its mouth.

·         A circular shikhara crowns the sanctum.

·         This temple also features 61 images carved in bas relief, of various scenes from the puranas.

·         Buddha is depicted as one of the incarnations of Vishnu here.

·         From across the river, this temple looks seated like a majestic swan.

4.      Sri Janardhana:

·         The origin of this temple is traced to Sri Jnanaghanacharya the 4^th acharaya of the Sri Matha 

·         The wonderful form of Janardhana carved in granite  with Sridevi and Bhudevi on two sides and has Chaturbhuja with Shanka, Chakra Abhaya Mudra /Varada Mudra and Gadha.

·         The prabhavali is an ornate piece, rich in flowery decorative details.

·         The deity is covered by sandal paste, throughout the year. Abhishekam is performed once a year on Krishna Ashtami day.
(Daily Pavamana Abhishekam is performed for the Vishnu  saligrama only.)

·         There is a Copper Venkatachala Pathy Yantra placed for worship at the foot of Lord janardhana.

·         There is a separate Sudarshana Chakra for which special pooja is performed. (3ft. dia)

·         Prayers are offered to ward off the feeling of hostility in us towards our fellow human beings and to cure psychological problems.

·         Maha Sudarshan Yantra is the highly Protective Yantra.

·         The Sudarshan refers to the discus of Vishnu, weapon to repel and punish evil and it is constructed from the pure flame of the sun.

·         It is a dynamic Yantra in that the construction represents a whirling wheel of sacred flame that keeps all negativity, illness, misfortune and so on at bay.

·         Within the body of the Yantra are inscribed sacred bija mantras that have proven their efficacy as protective talismans.

·         “One of the functions of the Sudarshan Cakra is to punish the demoniac attitude in human beings, but another is to uplift the consciousness of the living beings”

5.      Sri Anjaneya and Sri Garuda

·         Outside the Shrine of Sri Janardhana Temple, attached to the navaranga are the shrines of
Sri Hanuman and Sri Garuda. Garuda,

·         Unlike most shrines of Lord Vishnu, Garuda , the vahana or vehicle of Lord Narayana stands to the faces east, rather than the Lord, which is unique to this temple.

·         Anjaneya, the mighty valorous monkey God, stands to the south of the shrine of Sri Janardana swami.

·         From the Ramayana we learn that Hanuman – as Adhakass Adhakasswamin –could make the impossible possible.

·         Garuda and Hanuman are the strongest of the strong powers in the universe. Both idols are huge and made of monolithic granite.

6.      Sri Vaageeshwari

7.      Sri Balasubrahmanya

·         Sri Adi Shankara has identified and established six pattern of worshiping deities, of which  Kaumaram is related to the worshiping of Lord Subramanya .

(Ganapathyam                         -                       Lord Ganesh,
Soumaaram                             -                       Lord Surya, Sun.
Saivam                                                -                       Lord Siva,
Saktham                                  -                       Goddess Parvati.
Kaumaaram                             -                       Lord Subramanya
Vaishnavam,                           -                       Lord Vishnu.)

·         A temple for Balasubrahmanya Swami was consecrated in 1978 by Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal (35^th Guru).

·         On the day of Subrahmanya Shasti or Champa Shasti (Margashira Shukla Paksha Shasti) is the grandest festival in this temple. Shata Rudrabhishekam is peformed to Sri Bala Subrahmanya in the morning and Deepotsava in the evening.

8.      The Chandramouleeshwara Linga:

·         Legend says that this “Sphatika linga”, along with those of the other three Amnaya Peethams as well, was handed over by Sri Adi Shankaracharya to his four disciples.

·         Sri Adi Shankaracharya himself received the four lingas from Lord Shiva.

·         Since then, the Lingas have been propitiated by the various Acharyas who have adorned the Peethams.

·         The Linga of Sri Chandramoulishwara crystal linga, radiant like the moon, representing Jnana and bliss,

·         It is the principal idol of worship not only in Sringeri but also in the other three Amnaya Peethams – Badri, Dwaraka and Puri.

·         Today, the Chandramouleeshwara linga is propitiated thrice a day, morning and evening with “Shodasha-Upachara” as ordained in the scriptures.

·         Devotees also get the rare previlage of having a darshan of the Jagadguru worshipping the Chandramouleeshwara Linga in the night.

·         The Jagadguru propitiates Lord Chandramouleeshwara as the vedas are chanted admidst rituals through the pooja.

·         Along with the Chandramouleeshwara Linga, Special Sri Chakra Pooja is offered by Jagadguru on Fridays, immediately after the Chandramouleeshwara Pooja.

·         Apart from the Chandramouleeshwara Linga and Sri Chakra, idols of other deities can be as well seen. These include the linga of the famous Appaya Deekshita, Sri Ratna Garbha Ganapati, Lord Subrahmanya Swami, and others.

·         It is noteworthy that the Devotees will have the Darshan of the Lingam, have the Blessings of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya, and to get the teertham of Lord Chandramouleeshwara  in the morning  just after the morning pooja conculdes.

9.      Sri Malahanikareshwara:

10.  Sri Adi Shankaracharya

11.  Sri Sureshwaracharya

12.  The guardian deities

13.  Adhishthanams

14.  Sri Malayala Brahma

15.  Sri Kodandaramaswami

The Saradamba Temple:

Sarada Devi is enshrined seated on the Sri Chakra Peetham, holding a Japa Mala, with a parrot perched on the top of her hand. The original image of sandalwood was installed by Adi Sankaracharya, and it was replaced with a golden image, in the 14th century. The processional image of Saradamba is enshrined in the sourhern prakaram. There are also shrines to Shakti Ganapati and Bhuvaneswari here. There is also a shrine to Aadi Sankara here.Each Friday witnesses the procession of Saradamba in a silver chariot around the temple. The Navaratri festival season also witnesses processions of the processional image of Saradamba. Also in this temple are shrines to Shakti Ganapati, Mahishasuramardini and Rajarajeswari.

Also in Sringeri is the Janardhana temple, where carved in one of the niches of the sanctum is an image of Aadi Sankaracharya. Near this temple is the brindavanam of Sureshwaracharya. At Rishyasringapuram on the banks of the Nandini river, enshrines Sringeswara. Legend has it that the sage Rishyasringa attained salvation here.

Tippu Sultan of Srirangapatna is believed to have made gifts to Sringeri for the conduct of the Sahasra Chandi Japa for the welfare of the country.

Sharan-Navaratri

The Navaratri Utsava is the most celebrated one among all the festivals at Sringeri. During auspicious nine nights the Jaganmaata is worshipped, who killed the cruel demons Madhu-Kaitabha, Shumbha-Nishumbha, Mahishasura and so on. The following verse is quoted from Devi Mahatmyam occuring in the Markandeya Puranam

Mahabhishekam

A Mahabhisheka to Sharadamba will be performed on the day-before-Navaratri (i.e. on No-moon-day of the month of Bhaadrapada). Various types of Phala-Panchaamrita Abhisheka is followed by Shata Rudraabhisheka with Mahaanyasa and 108 Abhisheka while chanting Sri Sukta. The mother will be offered with Jagatprasutika Alankaara on that day.

1.      Jagatprasutika Alankaram :  With a smile on her face Mother Sharada fondles a cute baby on her lap as if she is telling her devotee that “I am the mother of the whole creation and you are my child. You will ever be taken care as this baby on my lap, if you seek me”. This Alankara will be very nice. Navaratri festival starts from the next day. Every day new Alankara will be made to Sri Sharadamba throughout Navaratri. It will not be an exaggeration to tell that even two eyes are not enough to see this splendor.

2.      Hamsavahana Alankarara – BRAHMI : Mother Sharada who is the queen of Brahma Deva, sitting on Hamsavaahana bless her devotees beholding in her hands the Kamandalu, Aksha Maala, Pustaka, Pasha and Chinmudra.

3.      Vrishabhavahana Alankara – MAAHESHWARI : Adi Shakti, the concert of Maheshwara, sitting on Vrishabhavaahana, wearing Crest-Moon, beholding Trishula bless her devotees.

4.      Mayuravahana Alankara – KOUMARI : Mother Sharada sitting on a Peacock, beholding Shakti Ayudha, in the form of the Power of Kumaraswamy, protect the world with her grace.

5.      Garudavahana Alankara – VAISHNAVI : Devi as the Power of Sri Mahavishnu, sitting on Garuda, beholding Conch, Disc, and Gadaa, bless the group of her devotees.

6.      Indrani Alankara : Devi beholding Vajrayudha, sitting on Airavata, as the concert of Devendra and as the destroyer of demons like Vritrasura, takes care of devotees.

7.      Veena Sharada Alankara : Mother Sharada beholding Veena in her hands, gives knowledge also to a dull-headed devotee. This Alankara is very beautiful to see.

8.      Mohini Alankara : It is a life-time-opportunity for the devotees to see this Alankara of Jaganmaata carrying Amritha Kalasha in her hand, who deluded the bad, cruel demons by her charm and beauty for the sake of distributing the Amritha to the angels.

9.      Rajarajeshwari Alankara : Mother Rajarajeshwari who is the concert of Kameshwara, beholding Pasha, Ankusha, Pushpabaana and Chapa, with her merciful-eyes, adorned with all the ornaments, fulfills all the desires of her devotees through her divine grace.

10.  Simhavahana Alankara – CHAMUNDA : Jaganmaata has taken this form of Chamunda to protect the good people and to destroy the cruel demons Chanda, Munda, etc. She sits on Simhavaahana holding Trishula in her hand.

11.  Gajalakshmi Alankara : Sri Gajalakshmi sitting on the lotus and being saluted by the elephants on both sides, with a smiling face, gracefully gives wealth, food, happiness and prosperity to her devotees.

Parayanas (Chantings) during Navaratri

Many Parayanas will be done at Sringeri Math during Navaratri festival viz. Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvanaveda Parayanas, Valmiki Ramayana, Devi Bhagavata, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya, Suta Samhite, Lalitopakhyana, Prasthanatraya Bhashya Parayanas, Mahavidya, Lakshminarayana Hridaya, Durga Saptashati and other Parayanas. Surya Namaskara, Srisukta Japa, Bhuvaneshvari Japa, Durga Japa and other Japas will be performed. Shata Rudraabhisheka to Sri Chandramoulishwara Swamy, Navaavarana Pooja to Sri Chakra which is called as the abode of Jaganmaata as per the Shastras, Suvaasini Pooja and Kumari Pooja at 12Noon everyday are also performed. Also the devotees will receive Prasada. Around 15 – 20 thousand people will have Meals daily during Navaratri festival.

Rathotsava to Sharadamba will be held at 6.30 pm daily on the main street. Mangalaarati will be performed in the presence of Parama Poojya Acharyah. Then starts the Rathotsava. Many Alankaras will be done to this Utsava Murthy too.

Itenerary of Sri Jagadguru Mahaswaminah during Navaratri

After Ahnika and Anushthana at dawn during Navaratri festival, Parama Poojya Acharyah will perform special pooja to Guru Padukas and to Sri Chakra.

At 9.30 am Acharyah will visit all the temples in the premises of Sri Math and take Darshan of all the deities.

After the regular morning and noon pooja, Sri Jagadguru Mahaswaminah will perform special pooja to Sri Sharadamba between 12 noon to 2.30 pm. Acharyah will give Darshan to the devotees between 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm, and attend Sri Sharadamba Rathotsava at 6.30 pm. At 7.30 pm Acharyah will bathe again and after completing Ahnika, attends Sri Chandramoulishwara Pooja at 8 pm.

This pooja will be over around 9.30 pm. Then Acharya will preside Darbar.

Darbar

Darbar is a special programme during Navaratri. This special function is being celebrated since the time of Sri Vidyaranya. Sri Vidyaranya Mahaswaminah played a main role in the establishment of Vijayanagara Empire and blessed Harihara Raya and Bukka Raya in every aspect.

They in-turn, as a token of gratitude and devotion, offered the whole kingdom, golden throne, crown made of ruby, gold palkin, chatra-chamaras and all the royal symbols at the Lotus-feet of Sri Vidyaranya.

They honoured Parama Poojya Sri Guru Vidyaranya with great titles like “Karnataka Simhasana Pratishthapan aacharya” “Srimad rajadhiraja guru” “Bhumandalaacharya” and so on.

Because of the humble request and devotion of these desciples, Sri Guru Mahaswaminah had to accept these royal symbols.

Sri Jagadguru Mahaswaminah wearing crown and ornaments as per the tradition of Sri Math, enters the Darbar at Sharada Temple in a procession through Chandramoulishwara Hall. After this the idol of Sharadamba which is kept at Vyakhyana Simhasana will be brought into the golden chariot.

Rathotsava will be done in the corridor of the temple three times, alongwith Veda Ghosha, Vadya Ghosha and Chatra-Chamara. Acharyah facing towards the Mother walks infront of the Ratha. After the Rathotsava, Acharyah will take his seat on the golden throne which is kept facing towards Sharadamba. Then the chanting of one or two chapters of Saptashati will be done.