Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy Aradhana

Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy Aradhana The Raghavendra Aradhana in 2024 marks the 353rd Aradhana Mahotsava of Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy. That was the day that the Guru entered in Brindavan. Shri Raghavendra Swamy, a revered saint and spiritual teacher from the 16th century, actively promoted the Vaishnavism tradition and played a significant role in spreading the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya. The Raghavendra Aradhana 2024 will be globally celebrated in all Raghavendra Swamy temples, including Mantralayam, from August 20th to 22nd. The most important day of the event will be August 21st. First day is called Poorva Aradhane (Tuesday, August 20, 2024) , Second day is called Madhya Aradhane (Wednesday, August 21, 2024) and, Third day is called Uttara Aradhane (Thursday, August 22, 2024) . The day Raghavendra Swamy entered Brindavan for his Samadhi is known as Aradhana. It is celebrated every year on the second day of the waning phase of the moon in the month of Shravan, according to the traditional Hindu lunar calendar prevalent in Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Raghavendra Swamy is commonly regarded as an incarnation of Prahlada, a prominent devotee of Vishnu. From 1621 to 1671, he held the position of the leader of the Sri Math institution, which was established by Sri Madhvacharya. Madhvacharya, alternatively referred to as Purna Prajna and Ānanda Tīrtha, was the great pontiff , was a Vaishnava scholar, theologian, and saint, theologian, and the primary advocate of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. Madhva coined the term Tattvavāda to describe his philosophy, which emphasises arguments based on a realist perspective. The sacred resting site of Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy is referred to as Brindavana and is situated in Mantralayam. Pilgrims visiting the place worship Brindavana, which was built under his personal supervision.

On the concluding day, Guru performed his usual rituals and delivered a final talk to a sizable congregation of devotees. The final message Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy conveyed before entering the Brindavana was that although he would be physically absent, he would still be actively ensuring the well-being of everyone. The grand car festival is organized as a component of the Maha Aradhana, attracting numerous devotees from all regions of the country and overseas. The processional idol of Sri Raghavendra is ceremoniously carried throughout the temple premises during the aradhana festivities. The pujas known as "Gho puja-Kamadehenu" and "Gaja puja-Iravata" are conducted before to the vehicle festival. The hoisting of the flag signals the start of the maharathada. The Shakatosava and Rajata Rathotsava ceremonies are conducted in conjunction with other religious rituals on the day preceding the Poorva Aradhana day. The Simha Vahana savari procession takes place on the day of Poorva Aradhana. The Madhya Aradhana day is renowned for the Maha Panchamrutha Abhisheka ritual. The Uttara Aradhana day is renowned for the Swarna Rathotsava. Raghavendra Tirtha, also known as Raghavendra Swami, (c.1595 - c.1671) was a Vaishnava scholar, theologian, and saint. He was alternatively recognised as Sudha Parimalacharya. His extensive body of work encompasses analyses of the writings of Madhva, Jayatirtha, and Vyasatirtha, exegesis of the Principal Upanishads from the perspective of Dvaita, and a scholarly exposition on Purva Mimamsa. He held the position of the pontiff of the matha at Kumbakonam from 1621 to 1671. Raghavendra Tirtha was proficient in playing the veena and he composed numerous songs using the pseudonym Venu Gopala. The shrine located in Mantralayam draws hundreds of thousands of people annually.

Raghavendra Swamy , originally named Venkatanatha, was born into a Deshastha Madhva Brahmin family known for their expertise in music and scholarship, in the town of Bhuvanagiri, Tamil Nadu. His great-grandfather, Krishna Bhatta, served as an educator to the Vijayanagara ruler, Krishnadevaraya. His grandfather, Kanakachala Bhatta, and his father, Thimmanna Bhatta also known as Thimmannacharya, were both very skilled scholars and musicians. Following the collapse of the Vijayanagara Empire, Thimmanacharya relocated to Kanchi accompanied by his wife Gopikamba. Venkatanatha has two siblings named Gururaja and Venkatamba. After the untimely death of his father, Venkatanatha's schooling was supported by his brother-in-law Lakshmi Narasimhacharya in Madurai. Here he received training in music too. Following that, he entered into marriage. In 1624, Raghavendra swamy assumed the position of the pontiff of the Kumbhakonam Matha, previously referred to as Vijayeendra Matha or Dakshinadi Matha, and currently recognised as Mantralaya Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha. The Uttaradi Math, along with the Vyasaraja Math and Raghavendra Math, are regarded as the three foremost institutions of Dvaita Vedanta and are collectively known as Mathatraya.

Raghavendra Tirtha is credited with forty works. Among these, his Tantradipika is a Dvaita interpretation of the Brahma Sutra. It incorporates aspects from Jayatirtha's Nyaya Sudha, Vyasatirtha's Tatparya Chandrika, and the interpretations by Vijayendra Tirtha. Raghavendra Tirtha's proficiency in Purva Mimamsa and Vyakarana is apparent in his extensive writings on Vyasatirtha's Tatparya Chandrika, which consists of a staggering 18,000 stanzas. He authored a scholarly analysis on Nyaya Sudha called Nyaya Sudha Parimala. In addition to these works, he has written commentary on the Upanishads, the first three chapters of Rigveda (known as Mantramanjari), and the Bhagavad Gita. He has written a separate book called Bhatta Sangraha, which is a commentary on Jaimini Sutras. The purpose of this commentary is to analyse the principles of Purva Mimamsa from a Dvaita perspective.

During the 17th century, Rayaru had his Brindavana Pravesha at approximately 1:30 pm. According to the records in the Gazette of the Madras Presidency at that time, Rayaru granted darshan and engaged in a conversation with Sir Thomas Munroe, a civil servant of the British Government. They discussed the proposed restitution of the Inam Lands to the government, indicating that Mantralaya would have been included in the lands to be restored. Following the conversation, Sir Thomas Munroe faithfully wrote it, and as a result, the restitution was revoked. Maruta Ninnaya is the sole Suladhi, also known as Suladi, penned by Raghavendra Swamy, and it is dedicated to Maruti, also known as Hanuman. Therefore, Raghavendra Swamy, also known as Rayaru, gave it the name Maruta Ninnaya Mahime.This song is somewhat uncommon compared to "Indu Ennage Govinda." Rayaru composed the song "Indu Enage Govinda" on his visit to Udupi after he had taken Sanyas. Therefore, these are the sole two songs he composed in Kannada. Raghavendra had a crucial role in initiating the second resurgence of the Haridasa movement. A multitude of Dasas hailing from Raichur, Bijapur, and nearby regions willingly submitted themselves to Raghavendra Swamy and commenced the creation of hymns in praise of Hari.

Vijaya Dasa (1682-1755) was a prominent follower of Rayaru and he wrote numerous pieces dedicated to the Mantralaya seer. Additionally, he acquired profound expertise in the art of composing suladis, to the extent that he earned the title of Suladi Dasaru. Let us all pay reverence to the revered Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy and humbly submit ourselves at his feet, seeking his divine protection.