30th december

I walked into a narrow street. At the end of the road i could see a colorful pandal as we call it here, i don't know what is in english for pandal.
cylcles and motorcycles gathered round,the policemen on the street postioned at the entrance to the pandal directed prople to their respective lines.

Why should a normal street of the anna main road be a site of such activity,
the reason being the day of Vaikunta ekadashi, a special day for vaishnavites all over the country,
The small street was the house to one of the vaishnavaite shrines, not of historical importance but then popular with the nieghbourhood.
But today had grabbed the attention of many unexpected.

A background about Vaikunta Ekadashi
midway in the pious month of marghazi which was the favorite month of the lord
Krishna says in the Gita
"In months i will be Marghazi"
it also signifies the union of the only lady alwar Sri Andal with the lord,
my mind fails to visualise how a 16 year old girl could have such a fasinationf for God and authoring two important peices which are rendered thoright the month, the thirupaavai being the most famous

Loudspeakers blaring at full volume(they had them everywhere now),songs and kritis
an old woman behind me started to voice the song as much as her voice could gather,
i being tolerant enought to say nothing

the day being more important for the fact that all over, where there are vaishnavite shrines,
the paramapatha vaasal or the doorway to heaven is open and it is believed that a trip through it will ensure moksha.
Suddenly many people wanted to book a place in heaven
it was only one day in the year and they could spare, funny it seemed to me that i could think of various things other than God standing before him as priya sisters sand the panchratna kirtnasathrough an Onida DVD player
so much for my place in heaven



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