Tirumala: Marathon rendition of Sundarakanda ends on a ceremonious note

Tirumala: Religious fervour and gaiety marked the conclusion of rendering of Sundarakanda Parayanam from the epic of Valmki Ramayanam at Nadaneerajanam in Tirumala on Saturday.

The chanting of Sundarakanda which began on June 11, 2020 lasted for 409 days in Tirumala, according to TTD Additional EO AV Dharma Reddy, the brain behind the devotional programme.

This kind of rendition was the first of its kind in the history of Tirumala aimed at seeking the blessings of Lord Rama and Hanuman in driving out "Vishuchika" (corona virus) from the globe. The conclusion ceremony coincided with the auspicious Guru Purnima.

The chanting of 2,821 slokas by Vedic pandits led by Kuppa Sivasubramaniam Avadahni with detailed explanation by Acharya Vibhishana Sarma was telecast live by SVBC every day. On Saturday, a total of 229 shlokas, including 109 from 65 to 68 Sargas of Sundarakanda and remaining from Yuddhakanda were recited.

Renowned artistes from Annamacharya project used to present melodious Sankeertana penned by Saint Poet Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya, "Rama Ramachandra Raghava ... Rajeeva Lochana Raghava..." eulogising Lord Rama and concluding with Hanuman Chalisa in praise of Anjaneya, the embodiment of devotion, penned by Saint Tulsidas.

In his remarks, Kuppa Siva Subramaniam Avadhani, Principal, Dharmagiri Veda Vignana Peetham said, the Parayana Maha Yagnam had won the hearts of millions of devotees across the globe.

"Sundarakanda Pathanam might have been recited by many scholars at different places but the one taken up by the TTD is unique. The essence of the shlokas from Ramayana were taken to the people. We not only did Sloka Parayanam but also explained its meaning co-relating to the present-day affairs for the easy understanding of devotees," he said.

The Additional EO said the Parayana Yagnam will continue and from Sunday onwards yet another important episode from epic Ramayana, Balakanda will commence at Nada Neerajanam.

"Every day there will be recitation of slokas from Balakanda along with narration akin to Sundarakanda by scholars between 7 am and 8 am and will be telecasted live on SVBC for the sake of global devotees,'' he added.

Similarly, to overcome the economic crisis and bring back the shattered life across the globe due to the corona pandemic to normalcy, the TTD has planned a month-long Sakala Karya Siddhi Srimad Ramayana Parayanam which would commence at Vasantha Mandapam in Tirumala from Sunday, he added.