Over the next month, Mylapore resident V Samyuktha will be appearing for the chartered accountancy (CA) inter examination.
This year, the Rama Navami utsavam at her ancestral home in Elleri near Cuddalore coincided with the early part of the Panguni Utsavam. That meant she had to miss her favourite fourth day alankaram at Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple.
She told Mylapore Times on Sunday that while she was physically present 200kms away, her mind on the third morning of the Panguni Utsavam was all on how Kapaleeswarar would be looking atop the Adikaara Nandi.
While that morning passed with just the ‘missing’ thoughts, on the fourth evening, she says she was almost in tears at not being able to be present in front of the raja gopuram to watch the handsome Kapaleeswarar in the Arthanareeswarar alankaram atop the Naga Vahana.
“The Arthanareeswarar alankaram and the dance in front of the Raja Gopuram was the one I missed the most at this year’s utsavam” she said.
But the moment she landed on East Mada Street on the morning of the chariot procession last Monday, she soaked in deep. “I ran to the ther for a darshan of Kapaleeswarar. Shiva Vadhyam and the recital of Thiruppugazhi gave a great devotional feeling”, she said.
Arubathumoovar returning close to midnight to Thevaram verses was another special feeling for her.
Samyuktha said that the Mohini dance of Karpagambal on West Mada Street is her all-time favourite at the Panguni Utsavam and she enjoyed this performance the most this year.
Thiru Oodal: her first time experience
She also said that she watched the enactment from the Thiru Oodal for the first time and enjoyed Sundarar’s mediatory role.
With her annual trips to Elleri for the Rama Navami utsavam, Samyuktha says she has now developed a deep interest in Bhajanai and Naama Sankeerthanam and wants to explore such presentations with Bhagavathas in the future.
However, for now, she will focus on the CA exams.
- Story, photo by S. Prabhu
