August 28, 2012

IshTartha siddi seva performing a rigorous seva at Sode Sri Vadiraja Mutt


Those of you who are Madhava and know about Sonde mutt might have heard about a seva called Ishtartha Sidde Seva (Tying coconut around the waist and doing pradakshine). This is a rigorous seva performed by devotees to fulfill there desires (Ishtartha). I was also one of the devotees who performed the seva from 17th August 2012 to 20th August 2012. As my wife had a harike which needed to be full filled, we headed out to Sonde vadiraji mutt to perform this seva. I would like to give you my first hand experiences and information regarding this seva.

We left Bengalure on 16th August Thursday 2012 on a night bus and reached Sonde Mutt on friday 17th August morning around 6:30 am. As we had booked the room 2 weeks in advance there were no hassles for accommodation. Rooms were given in Rajadhama complex, Rooms were new and very clean, as devotees should not be expecting any luxuries only a cot and two mats (chaape) will be provided. Rooms have Indian WC and running cold water (no hot water will be provided).

After refresh we headed straight to mutt office for seva registration. The rules and regulations starts from the time of registration itself. If you are not wearing a dhoti(Kacche panche) for men and Saree for women you will not be registered, As I am used to wear dothi in normal way (adda) I was asked to go back to room and wear Kacche panche. Only after wearing Kacche panche I was registered for the seva, you will not be able to register for other person (family members) if they are not present in the office so I had to tell my wife to be present personally to register. Registeration fee for Ishtartha Sidde Seva  is Rs 50.

While registration you will be give a detail information about rules and regulation both verbally and printed matter. Our seva started on the same day itself, seva can be done for 3 or 5 or 7 days depending on the comfort of devotees. We had planned to do for 3 days, It is recommended to start the seva on some auspicious day w.r.t. ur star (nakshatra). Except Ekadashi in all days we can start this seva. As we did not had any choice we started on the same day. On the very first day we need to do saMkalpa of seva in front of rajaru. except dwadashi first Sankalpa will be done around 7AM and 9:30 AM in front of vrundavana. First we need to take a holi dip (Snana) in (Dhavalagange) pushkarni perform your daily sandhyavandane. We need to take one coconut for the sankalpa which will be kept in front of vrundavana and will be given back to us at the end of sankalpa. Then we should cover the cocnut by a cloth and we need to tie that coconut to waist, We have to see to it that coconut will not touch ground till the completion of seva. For men I would suggest that you tie the coconut along with the cloth so that coconut is at the back(not towards the side) because when you do saatanga namaskara the coconut will touch the ground. For women they can tie towards the side.  we have to take seven times avagahana snana in dhavaLaganga (pushkarni), and should do pradakshina starting from mukyaprAna, krishna dEvaru, ashwattaNaRayaNa, aakyaana maMdira, vrUndavanagaLu, nagadEvaru, paapanashini theertha, raajaru, bhootharajaru, maharudradEvaru and finally veenapaNi prANadEvaru.This conpletes one pradakshina.  Like this we have to do 7 pradakshina. Every time after Snana women should apply Kumkuma to forehead and men should apply gopi chandana. After 7 pradikshana like this, again have avagahana snana and we have to do 7 pradakshina in rama trivikrama temple also. Then we can remove the coconut with the cloth covering it n we can tie it in the place near to prANadevaru in front of dhavalaganga. Then we should do 108 pradakshina in vrundavana sannidhi which includes raajaru, vEdavEdyaru and bhootharajaru. You have to change to dry cloths for 108 pradakshina.
Seven outer pradakshina must be done before having any food and it is adviced to do 108 pradakshina too in the same way. If you can't complete all 108 pradakshina before theerthaprasada, they you have to take bath again to complete this 108 pradakshinas.
Few rules must be followed by the devotees during seva duration:

1. Only one time theertha prasada. Night phalahara will be provided for the devotees from matt itself.
2. One should not sleep in the day time.
3. Should use only mat(chaape) for sleeping no bed to be used.
4.Should avoid discussing unnecessary topics as much as possible.
5.Should wear Saree, no chudidaar(salwar) or Jeans & Top for women and Dhoti(Kacche panche) for men.
Preferred stotras for chanting during seva:

1. aNuvRundavanakshaya
2. hari-vayu stuthi
3. VishNu sahasranaama
4. any stotra or devara naama composed by sri raajaru
5. hari-guru devara naama
6. lakshmi shobhane etc..
On the 4 day morning after completion we should do krishnarpana of seva in front of rajaru. Again have a snana in Dhavalagange(pushkarni) and be ready around 6:00 AM in the morning, Archakaru will take the coconut inside garbhagudi and keep it in front of rajaru n give it back as prasada. Till this point we shold be careful to see that coconut will not touch ground.
This is the brief details of seva in sode as per my knowledge and experience.

How to reach Sonda from Bangalore: The best way is to catch direct bus. Private buses from Seabird, Sugama and VRL operate to sonda. If you want to try KSRTC then many Rajahimse (Rajahamsa) goes to Sirsi then you have to take taxi or connecting bus to Sonda.

Sonda contact information for room booking:

Sonde Sri Vadiraja Mutt
Sirsi Taluk, Uttar Kannada Dist
Karnataka

Sondemutt Enquiry: 08384279685
Sondemutt Room Enquiry: 08384290960

25 comments:

  1. Really really thanks a lot for sharing this. Actually i'm also planning to do this seva. So this info helped me a lot. . . Thank u very much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manju KS
      You are welcome, nice to hear that this posting in my blog helped you in some way. Let me know how was your experiences when you complete, good luck.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous12:22 AM

    Hello Naveen,

    Thank you very much for this information. Really useful because we (me and my wife) are planning for the seva. I have one doubt which I am asking on behalf of my wife. You have pointed out that to register for seva one has to wear kacche panche only (regular panche not accepted). Likewise, when my wife enquired about this from some people who have done, they told her that she must be wearing kacche saree for doing this seva. I mean being a madhwa, I do know that for things to be done with extreme madi, married women must be wearing saree with kacche, but what we want to find out is, is this is must for the registration also? It will be helpful to know if your wife had to wear kacche saree for this seva. And if the women are not used to wearing this, would anyone there be able to help, if this is must for the seva? These details will be really useful, so please provide it if you don't mind.

    Thank you.
    Murali

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Murali

    Thank you for visiting my blog. It is NOT necessary for Women to wear Kacche saree (as this was not a must) and you can ask your wife to wear saree in normal way. Even my wife do not know how to wear Kacche Saree and she completed the sava wearing normal saree.You can see lot of women wearing saree in normal way and doing the sava. If your wife is really keen in wearing a Kacche saree, you can ask her to befriend a women who is wearing a kacche saree and learn.

    Naveen

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:56 PM

    Hi Naveen,

    Thank you very much for the quick reply. I have shown your reply to my wife. It seems that the person that told my wife about this seva had told her that sevas like this must be performed as strictly as possible and following the tradition as much as possible for best possible phala from the seva. Since she has had this in mind while having the harike, she wants to perform the seva in complete madi wearing a kacche saree. So she is trying to find some women (searching in Rayara matha) who know how to wear kacche with 6 or 9 yard saree and learn from them by the time we plan to go there. Thanks for sharing the information you know. Will definitely update you once we complete the seva.

    Murali

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Murali

      I really appreciate you and your wife shradde, bakthi and your enthusiasm in performing the seva in traditional way. I wish you a all the success. If you take any pictures do share it with me if possible.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous9:17 PM

    Hi Naveen,

    Just a quick update. My wife and I completed the seva during the weekend one and half days ago. Seva went smoothly even though she was a bit tired from it. The details you have provided were really very useful. So thank you once again. Both of us are very satisfied that we did not have any troubles. Other thing, like you mentioned, my wife was very firm that she wanted to follow complete customs and do this with complete madi. Although we did not have lot of time, she managed somehow to find someone in Rayara matha, took their help and learnt how to wear kacche saree and she performed the seva in full madi, wearing kacche saree only. After coming back, she has decided to follow our customs more strictly and like there, she wore kacche saree to mudradharane function also. We have taken a harike again saying if what we wished for is completed successfully, we will visit and do seva again. Since we were satisfied with our visit to great extent, lot of information from you helped, I thought it is only correct that I shared news of our visit with you.

    Murali

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Naveen

    I am chethan venkobachar working for a reputed software company. I am really thank full to you for information
    I had been to sonde before 7 months for rajara darshana and i prayed for job and i decided to to perform IshTartha siddi seva and i came back to bangalore exact after month i got placed as IT manager for karnataka and Hyderabad as a fresher i am really blessed by rajaru and guru rayaru to get this oppurtinity. So i am planning to Visit and perform seve from
    1-11-2013 to 4-11-2013 as my bday is on 1st of november i am planning to Give Reshmea Vastra to pancha brindavana of rajaru. and take his blessing on aspecious day..
    I called the above no to book the room as am going on friday and fallowed by weekend and Deepavali so its package of holidays the number is switched off can you please help me out by some other number so that i can book it.. And if u can pls join me on this occusion

    Regards
    Chethan
    8095217049

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Chethan

      Wishing you belated birthday, Thank you for visiting my blog. Hope you had a very good Darshana at Sonde and successfully completed the seve. Those were the only contact numbers which was available with me. Thank you for the invite though.

      Naveen

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:10 AM

      Naveen- This is such valuable information on Sodhe mata. My in-laws are ardent devotees of this mutt, although I am yet to visit the temple. We plan to go to India later this year, and have plans to visit the temple as well. Once again, good job and god bless.

      Delete
    3. Dear Anonymous Visitor
      Thank you for Visiting my Blog. Indeed Sonde is a very beautiful place to visit and to seek blessings of raajaru. Wishing you all goodness and peace.
      Naveen Balakrishna

      Delete
  7. Anonymous4:07 PM

    Hello sir.. Thank you for this excellent detailed narration. My husband and I are planning to do seva during this August or September. But we are not sure about rain. From your narration I understand that you visited in the month of August. Was it raining heavily that time? We are afraid that rain might disturb 108 pradakshina. Since you have visited in that period, could you please guide us. Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  8. it is possible to leave sode at 3rd day itself after theertha prasada ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No its Not Possible to Leave on 3rd day without giving Krishnarpanam. What ever you have done should reach god through Gurugalu.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous11:09 AM

    Hi Naveen,

    Great information. I want to do this Seve, I learnt from your blog that this should be done with at most devotion and Madi. I can manage that however I am not a Brahmana. Can I still do this Seve ?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Naveen, you said we have to tie coconut and do 7 rounds of pradakshine. Should we do this on day 2 and day 3 as well?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Listen to Buddha
      Thank you for visiting the page, Yes you have to tie coconut to your waist and do 7 round's of pradakshina on day 2 and 3 also. Make sure you do not ground the coconut after finishing 1st day, Tie it to the railing near Pranadaveru temple to use it on day 2 and 3.
      God bless.

      Delete
    2. Hi Naveen,
      This information is very helpful.

      Regards,
      Prasanna R

      Delete
  11. Hello sir, thank you for your brief inputs. It helped me because I am doing seva from this thursday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vinod

      Wish you good luck.

      Delete
    2. Hello sir, my seva got completed without any hassles. Thank you

      Delete
  12. Greetings,
    When doing the 108 pradakshinas, how many namaskaras are to be done, and should I kneel (bow) to the ground or is joining the hands enough while doing these namaskaras?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Eeshaan Achar

      As mentioned in my post you need to do "saasthanga namaskara" thrice i.e., for raajaru, vEdavEdyaru and bhootharajaru. Just joining
      hands and doing prakakshina is not enough.

      Delete
    2. Eeshaan Achar8:18 PM

      Thanks for the info.

      Delete
  13. Anyone who visits this place please don't get outside food
    While entering the temple please wear dhoti
    Please don't pollute the area
    Try to do mediation in sitting front of God it will help u to lead a good life

    ReplyDelete