Kumbhabhishekam of the Paduka Mantapam celebrated grandly on January 28 2011 in the presence of Their Holinesses
Many thousands of devotees witnessed the Kumbhabhishekam of the Paduka Mantapam at Orirukkai on 28 January 2011, performed in the presence of His Holiness Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal and His Holiness
Sri Sri Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal. Three weeks of religious and cultural events at Orirukkai, culminated in the grand Kumbhabhishekam on 28th January 2011. The ThondaiMandalam Adheenam and Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal were also present at the Manimantapam
for the consecration. The Mahaswami's granite idol was brought in a golden chariot from the SriMatam in Kanchipuram to Orirukkai on the day before the Kumbhabhishekam. The gold covered Padukas of the Mahaswami
were taken around in procession on the golden chariot brought from the SriMatam in the evening.
How the Satabdhi Manimantapam in Orikkai, 5 to 6kms from Kanchiuram on the Uthiramerur Road, came up is a fascinating story,demonstrating once more that
'fact is stranger than fiction'!
This is a divine project in honour of the Centenarian Sage of Kanchi : the idea was originally floated by one of the humblest devotees of the Sage,by name Thethagudi V.Venkatarama Iyer,an employee of the Southern Railways who was asked,on his retirement from service in 1983, to settle down in BangaruAmman Thottam,opp.the
Kanchipuram Collector's Office,in a house meant for a sevak of SriMatam by the celebrated Sage Himself.He saw Parameshwara,the Lord of Mount
Kailash Himself in the sacred person of the Sage and never missed the Darshan of the Sage of Kanchi on the evening of the Pradosham days during the years of his service with the Railways, wherever the Sage was camping. He came to be called,on that account,as Pradosham Mama by his fellow devotees everywhere. Settling down in Kanchipuram enabled him to worship the Sage every day. He and his equally devout wife spent all their earnings and savings in performing Pujas, Bhajans and Ayushya Homams by way of prayers to His Holiness.
In 1989-'90,he launched the SriSriSriMahalakshmiMathrubhuteswarar (SSSMM)Trust to collect funds for building the edifice to mark the Centenary Jayanthi of the Sage. Devotees across the globe were captivated by this idea and contributed their mite for the fruition of this Project,but it took quite some years even for the first phase of this Project to materialize. Pradosham Mama reached the Lotus Feet of the Sage long before the Consecration which took place on Jan 28 this year.
The Vimanam housing the Sanctum Sactorum is 100 feet tall. A beautiful granite Vigraha of the Sage is blessing the devotees from this Moolastanam. A hundred pillared Mahamantapam has come up in front of the above mentioned Vimanam.A Rudrakshamantapam adorns the
Sanctum Sactorum. Two well-carved elephants in the front welcome the visitors to the Moolastanam. On both sides of this Mantapam have been
carved the imposing Kalachakras, with the figures of all the twelve Rasis.The ball in the mouth of the Yali sculptured on the pillar can not be taken out,though it is not fixed there-it can be moved inside there. The Chain, Siva's Pradosha Tandavam, Dakshinamurti, AdiSankaracharya, His illustrious successors in the Kanchi Srimatam, image of KanchiMahaswami, the elephant on the side and the Nandi are so bewitching.
According to PadmaSri S.M.Ganapati Stapatiyar who was devoted wholeheartedly to the making of this all-granite marvel of architecture,this
Satabdhi Mantapam has come up in a happy blend of the Chola,Chera,Pandya and Pallava traditions of architecture-something that has not been attempted for a thousand years since RajaRajaChola's famous Brihadeeswara temple in Thanjavur was built.
His Holiness SriSri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal performed the Kumbhabhishekam on the morning of Jan28,2011. His Holiness Sri Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal also came there .
The Nandi Mantapam, Deepastambam, Rajagopuram and Pakasala are yet to come up-funds are to be raised now.So far, nearly 20 crores of Rupees,so kindly
donated by devotees,have been spent.
On the direction of His Holiness Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, a Veda Patasala is being started at the Manimantapam premises after April 14 2011.
Granite Marvel depicting Maha Periyava's life
The Satabdhi Manimantapam will be an all-granite marvel in
sculpture , incorporating the best of Chola, Nayaka and Pallava traditions.
It will have four main hallways called the Maha Mantapam, Praja Mantapam, Prakara
Mantapam and Paduka Mantapam and they will be supported by 101 magnificently carved
pillars. The outer walls of the inner prakara and the inner walls of the
outer prakara will depict the life and work of our venerable Maha Periyava.
Many important events in the life of the Sage of Kanchi will be thus depicted, providing a lively presentation of the
multifaceted personality of His Holiness and also chronicling His manifold activities and achievements almost non-stop , for 87
years in the cause of Sanatana Dharma and world peace.
