The true history of Velankanni.

New Update added on 6th October at the end of the article. 


From

https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/when-will-velankannis-true-history-be-known-dev/

Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi is a Christian pilgrimage site—that is what most of us have been led to believe. We may however be surprised to learn about its Śaiva origins.

‘Kaṇṇi’ in Tamil means ‘she who has beautiful eyes’. In the ‘agam’ poems of the Sangam corpus belonging to the ‘kuriñjithiṇai’, we find the name of an ancient lady poet bearing the name ‘Kāma-kaṇṇi’

In the history of the Śaiva tradition in Tamil Nadu, there is one thing that draws our attention—in the Śivālayas that were constructed after the lifetime of the Samaya-kuravas, the tradition of using unique Tamil names to refer to the Śiva and Śakti deities in Śaiva temples, which was established by the Dēvāram-trinity, is faithfully followed. When we read the Dēvāram poems, we come across several such names of Ambikā.

‘Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi’ is etymologically derived from the old name ‘Vēlana-kaṇṇi’—a name by which Ambikā is known in the Dēvāram:

“mālai mathiyoḍu nīraravampuṉai vārchaṭaiyāṉ
vēlanakaṇṇiyoḍum virumpummiḍam…”

— Srī Jñāna Sambandhar

Being known for possessing eyes (kaṇ) shaped like fish (cēl), she is known as cēlaṉa-kaṇṇi;  similarly owing to her eyes appearing like a spear-head (vēl = spear) eyes, she is also known as vēlaṉa-kaṇṇi. Feminine epithets such as cēlaṉa-kaṇṇi and vēlaṉa-kaṇṇi are based on uvamai (similes).

About 10 kilometres south of the site of the Veḷāṅkaṇṇi basilica, we find another town named ‘Karuṅkaṇṇi’ (“she who is black-eyed”).

‘Karuntaṭaṅkaṇṇi’ is also one of the epithets of Ambā. Vēliṉērtaru-kaṇṇi is also one of the epithets by which she is praised in the Dēvāram.

Iru-malar-kaṇṇi is another beautiful epithet of Himavān’s daughter. The undying fame of Maduraiyaambati (Madurai) is due to the power of aṅgayaṟkaṇṇi (Meenakshi). At the temple of Tirukkaṟkuḍi, she is known as maiyār-kaṇṇi, or maimēvu-kaṇṇi(añjanākṣī).

At Kōḍiyakkarai in the kuzhagar-ālayam, Ambā is known as maiyār-taṭaṅ-kaṇṇi. Chēramān Perumāḷ Nāyanār and Sundaramūrti Swāmi have arrived and worshipped together at this sthalam. Aruṇagirināthar has also composed hymns on this shrine. This site is also pointed out in the late Śri Kalki R. Krishnamurthy’s famous novel ‘Ponniyiṉ Selvaṉ’. This is also a śiva-sthala located near the shore. Vāḷnutaṟkaṇṇi is another name—when Īśa was deep in tapas, and her oblique glance disturbed him, the result was the appearance of Muruga. One can come across her other similar names such as Kāvyaṅkaṇṇi, Nīḷneḍuṅkaṇṇi, Vēlneḍuṅkaṇṇi, Varineḍuṅkaṇṇi, Vāḷārkaṇṇi, etc.

Māṉeḍuṅkaṇṇi is another name—it means ‘she who has wide eyes like a deer’ (deer = maan in Tamil):

“māṉeṭuṅkaṇṇi maṇikkatavu aṭaippa
iṟaiyavaṉ itaṟkuk kāraṇam ētu eṉa
maṟikaṭal tuyilum māyavaṉ uraippāṉ….”

Kāḻipiḷḷai describes the fish-like eyes of Ambikā thus:

“nīlanaṉ māmiṭaṟṟa ṉiṟaivaṉ ciṉattaṉ neṭumā vuritta nikaril
cēlaṉakaṇṇi vaṇṇa morukū ṟurukkoḷ tikazhtēvaṉ mēvupatitāṉ….”

Thus have the saints submerged in the ‘science of beauty’ described the mother’s beautiful and karuṇā-laden eyes using many epithets.

All these names are most certainly influenced by the Dēvāram. It was considered the duty of the king to inscribe at least one or two patikas (poems of the Tirumurai) on thepaliṅku (marble) boards in every śivālaya—it was to demonstrate that the patika of the Devāram had an inseparable association with that town.

Even Māṇikkavāchakar has praised the beautiful eyes of Ambikā:

“māvaṭuvakiraṉṉakaṇṇi paṅkāniṉ malaraṭik kēkūviṭuvāy” 

— Thiruvāchakam

Seashore  Śivālayas

All along the eastern coast of Tamilnadu, the Śaiva tradition had prospered. Jñānasambandhar describes the māsi-magha festival thus:

“maṭalārnta teṅkiṉ mayilaiyār mācik
kaṭalāṭṭuk kaṇṭāṉ kapālīc caramamarntāṉ….”

In all the shore-temples, for the māsi-magha tīrthavāri, it is an ancient custom to take the deity’s utsava murtis (idols) to the seashore for a ritual immersion into the waters, and this tradition still prevails today.

Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi is also one among  several seashore temples like Ādipurīśvara at Tiruvoṟṟiyūr, Kapālīśvara at Mylāpūr, Marundīśvara temple at Tiruvānmiyūr, Vēdapurīśvara temple in Pondicherry, Kāyārohaṇeśvara temple in Nāgapaṭṭanam, Kuzhagar temple in Kōḍiyakkarai, Vēdavananātha temple in Vēdāraṇyam, Darbhāraṇyeśvara temple in Kāraikkāl, Māsilāmaṇinātha temple in Puhār, which are situated along the southern coast.

In Mylāpūr we have Vālīśvara, Mallīśvara, Veḷḷīśvara, Kāraṇīśvara, Tīrthapālīśvara, Virūpākṣīśvara sthalas—apart from the Kapālīśvara temple. Across Chennai, most areas are filled with Śivālayas, which are too numerous to cover here.

Tiruvadikai Vīraṭṭānam (one of Śiva’saṣṭa-vīrasthānas where He is worshipped as Tripurāntaka)—is associated with the history of Tirunāvukkarasar and one of thesthalas that the samaya-kuravas have composed hymns on. Here the main deity is called Vīraṭṭānēsvara (Vīrasthānēśvara) and his consort is named Periyanāyaki (Bṛhannāyakī).

Tiruchōpuram (also called Tyāgavalli)—is a shore temple near Kaḍalūr on which Jñāna-sambandhar has composed hymns. The main deity is Chōpuranātha (also called Maṅgalapurīśvara), his consort is Vēlneḍuṅkaṇṇi.

Tiruchāykkāḍu (also called Chāyāvanam)—again this is a seashore temple located at the mouth of the Kāvēri river, built by Chola king Kōcheṅkaṇāṉ, worshipped by Iyaṟpagai Nāyanār and is also the site of his mukti.

Tirunāvukkarasar, Kāḻipiḷḷai and Aiyaḍikaḷ Kāḍavarkōṉ have composed hymns on this shrine. The main deity is Chāyāvanēśvara.

“Nitta lunniya mañceytu nīrmalar tūvic
citta moṉṟaval lārkkaru ḷuñcivaṉ kōyil

Matta yāṉaiyiṉ kōṭumvaṇ pīliyum vārit
tattunīrp poṉṉi cākara mēvucāyk kāṭē” 

— Jñānasambandhar

Tiruvalampuram is one more important seashore temple. The main deity is Valampuranāthar and his divine consort is called Vaḍuvakirkaṇṇi.

aṅkorutaṉtiruviralāliṟaiyēyūṉṟi
yaṭarttavaṟkēaruḷpurintaaṭikaḷinnāḷ
vaṅkamalikaṭalpuṭaicūḻmāṭavīti
valampuramēpukkaṅkēmaṉṉiṉārē!

The 9th century hymn itself makes it amply clear that it is a temple located near the sea shore.

Currently the temple comes under the area called Melapperumpallam.  Situated near Puhār (Poompuhar)

The Silappadhikāram says that there were temples of the Unborn One (Śiva) and the six-faced god (ṣaṇmukha kārttikeya) in Puhār:

“piṟavāyākkaipperiyōṉkōyilum,
aṟumukaccevvēḷaṇitikaḻkōyilum….”

In today’s Puhār, we find a temple for Śiva (known as Pallavaneśvara, with his consort known as Saundarya-nāyaki).

There is a small town called Paravai about 2 kms west of Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi. Sundaramūrti Swāmi’s wife Paravai Nācciyār was born there. In Tamil, ocean is called Paravai. Upamanyu Bhakti Vilāsam refers to this lady as Sāgarikā. Since the ocean has retreated, the temple here is not situated close to the shore now like it once used to be.

Nāgūr has a shore-temple of Śiva as Nāganātha (Lord of Nāgas) with goddess Nāgavalli. The town gets its name from the name of this deity. Associated with Kāmika-āgama, this is a very ancient temple. The Nagore Dargah (grave site of a Sufi dervish known locally as Nagūr-āṇḍavar i.e. the god of Nagūr) was established much later during the Maratha rule. The true nāgūr-āṇḍavar (god of Nāgūr) was the consort of goddess Nāgavalli—Śri Nāganātha.

In the Nāgapattanam region, one of the 63 Nāyanmārs called Adipatta Nāyanār who was born in a kula (family) of fishermen in a village called Nuzhaippāḍi by the seashore—where there exists a temple.

Before Lord Muruga (Skanda) went to war against the asuras, he is said to have got the blessings of the three-eyed lord (Śiva) at Tirucchendūr.

Rāmeśvaram has the world-famous pilgrimage site where Lord Rāma sought the help of Śiva on his way to Laṅkā.

Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi is just one more such shore temple like all these.

When a building site in Velankanni was dug up to lay the foundations, Somaskanda, Rama, Goddess Sivakami, Saint Sundarar, Narttana Vinayaka and 13 other panchola silas (murtis) were found. They have been deposited at Kilavelur Taluka Office.

Archeologists have found large number of daiva-śilās and pañcaloha idols buried in this location. In the Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi  town, there is another śivālaya called Rajatagirīśvara. Whether this is an ancient temple or a recently rebuilt one is yet to be established. If its origin is found, it is possible to unearth other bits of the place’s history.

Sri Rajata Girisvarar Swami Kovil at Velankanni

A few centuries back, when the Portuguese, Danish, and French invaded these shore sites, they destroyed several Hindu temples. They also established Christian churches there. The demolition of the Kapālīśwara temple at Chennai and the Vedapurīśwara temple at Pondicherry are good examples of the level of Christian tolerance.

The Goa shores also had several temples which were destroyed by the Portugese. In 1567 Portugese missionaries destroyed about 350 temples in Goa. In those times, Hindus were even forbidden to grow the tulasi (holy basil) plant.

Cultural appropriation by missionaries

Wearing kāvi (saffron) robes, building churches that resemble temple architecture, placing Koḍi Marams (dhvaja sthamba) in front of churches, deliberately using Sanskrit words like Vedāgamam, Suviseṣam, Agni, Abhiṣekam, Sarvāṅgadahanabali, flag hoisting, doing ratha yātras and other rituals are being appropriated and used specifically to lure Hindus into their religion, and this has been happening over centuries. One of the aspects of this deception involves clothing idols of Mother Mary in sarees according to the Tamil style and using the name of the local Hindu deity ‘Vēlana-kaṇṇi’ to refer to Mary as Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi. This is the truth.

Mother Umā is known as Periyanāyaki (Skt. bṛhannāyakī). In the famous Thanjāvūr temple, Śiva is known by the name Bṛhadīśvara and his consort is called Bṛhannāyakī—and this is known to all. This name has been stolen without shame and used by missionaries as the name of Mary, as Periyanāyaki-Mātā.

Truth hurts. Christians have no reason to get annoyed. After insulting Hindu deities calling them devils, demons, etc—and on the other hand appropriating their names and symbols and using them in Christianity to refer to Jesus and Mary—this is in no way proper. Christians in Tamilnadu who have a conscience should reflect on these things.

Some Questions

Today Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi has been promoted and established as an extremely popular Christian pilgrimage site. But the questions that probe how it came to be a Christian site remain.

Is there any Biblical proof to show that Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi is a Christian name?

Else who named it Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi? Were they Portugese sailors, or the Papal authority in the Vatican? Or is it the missionaries who came later?

Is worshipping Mary as an independent deity (opposed in Trinitarian Christianity) acceptable to Biblical and Christian theology?

If this is a common Christian shrine, why don’t all sects of Christians come and worship here?

What is the relation between Ārogya and the name Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi? (Arogya Matha—Lady of Health)

What is the relation between Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi and Lourdes of the East conceptually? Is there any tradition of flag hoisting and ratha yātras at other Lourdes shrines? Will European devotees of the Lady of the Lourdes shave their heads?

It has been accepted by Christians themselves that there is no basis for the apparitions of Mother Mary that are claimed to have occurred in Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi. That being the case, how did this church become ‘Lourdes of the East’?

Why is Mary, the Lady of the Lourdes, not commonly worshipped in other places as the Lady of Good Health?

Why did this site where many miracles are said to have occurred not gain the status of basilica until 1962? The miracles are claimed to be hundreds of years old, yet why did it not gain basilica status during British rule?

They say this holy site was believed to have mahimā right from the start. Yet from Warren Hastings until Mountbatten, among the forty or so governor generals who ruled India, there is no record of any of them having visited the Lady of Health at Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi. What is the reason for this contradiction?

Even those native Christian scholars such as Henry Albert Krishna Piḷḷai, who wrote Rakṣaṇya Yātrikam (a Tamil retelling of the ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’), Māyūram Vedanāyakam Piḷḷai, etc., who lived just a century ago do not appear to have mentioned anything about the Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi apparitions, or shaved their heads in Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi.

Even in the ‘Christian Songs’ book of Devaneya Pāvāṇar who passed away in 1981, there are no songs about Arogya Mātā (Lady of Health). Is there anything more to say?

Although large numbers of Indian Christians congregate and worship at the Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi Church, no pope has visited or prayed to Arogya Mātā. What is the reason?

Without the approval of the Holy See, how did this become a basilica?

Does Biblical authority support ostentatious rituals in worshipping Mary, as well as large celebrations such as what we see in Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi?

Only when someone looks for answers with substantive proofs for all these questions, Vēḷāṅkaṇṇi’s true history will be known.

» Tamil to English translation support by Sri Ram Sury

*************************

From  The Myth of Saint Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva Temple

 On one of these voyages up the Coromandel Coast the Portuguese were blown ashore in a storm, at a fishing village 12 km south of Nagapattinam. They declared that the Virgin Mary had saved them and in thanksgiving took over the local Vel Ilankanni Amman Temple (which was the sister shrine of the Vel Thandakanni Amman Temple at Sikkil, closer to Nagapattinam). This village has now become the famous Christian pilgrimage centre of Velankanni. The original Devi temple was enclosed within the first Portuguese church, known as the Mada Koil, that is situated at a distance from the present Basilica of Our Lady of Health. The stone image of the Devi was on public display until some years ago, but has since been removed and an image of the Virgin Mary put in its place.

Housewives' worth a trillion dollars - says Prof R. Vaidyanathan

 From

https://rvaidya2000.com/2016/08/31/women-ask-where-are-our-trillion-dollar-output/

Women ask: Where are our Trillion Dollar output?

August 31, 2016                                                                                 

Prof Vaidyanathan

Whenever some visitors asked my elder sister “do you work” she used to be amused. She used to say “what else I do from 5am to 10 pm every day”. For most people household work is not considered as “work”. It is not included in computing National income or GDP.  National income by definition is aggregate of Products and services produced in a country during the year. But household work is not included in the services.

In other words only paid services are included. For instance if you marry your servant maid then the national income will come down. Believe me!

I had most sagacious and wise Prof Moni Mukherjee as my National Income paper—teacher in my Post Graduation at Indian Statistical Institute Calcutta. I was curious and gathered courage [in those days you don’t meet Professors in the “staff room” and ask questions!] and asked him about this issue.

He mentioned to me that the “Euro-Centric world view regarding un-paid household work is accepted as the “given wisdom” and followed by all the Economists and Economies” .This means that  bringing up children/cooking/keeping house in order and taking care of home economy are not considered as “ productive”.

When you investigate further you find that it is related to the “idea of women” as propagated by the Abrahamic faiths primarily Islam—who call themselves as “Religion of Peace”–RoP- and Christianity who call themselves as “Religion of Love”-RoL.

Unfortunately neither of these faiths—which rules more than half of the world—accepted woman as equal or “productive”. Christianity for centuries did not recognize women have “soul” and Islam treated them as a protective “meat”.

So one of the important premise was to do –de-legitimize” their contribution to the world at large more so in the sphere of Economics and computation of National Income. So to earn legitimacy they must join the “workforce”. In the initial period of Crusades/Jehadis many of them were needed as nurses to tender to the injured and so nursing as a profession was “glorified” by men. Florence of Nightingale became symbol of “highest form of sacrifice—more so Productivity”

In the earlier stages of Industrialization and Corporate developments large number of women were needed as blue color workers and also as typists/coffeemakers in office and as assistants.

So –office work began to be encouraged and household work undermined. Also efforts made to reduce household work from time and efforts point of view by new gadgets like cooker etc.

Still women were not given any position of importance in the outside work place. And so they were encouraged to “break Glass ceilings” to get into higher positions in workforce. Slowly advertisements/TV serials/Cinemas began to talk of ‘burden of family” children are burden/encumbrances” at the same time Children are needed by the society and so “super Mom’s” created by the business and media to make women work at home as well as office.

Women are encouraged to more and more be active in “office work” and they are encouraged to demand equal pay for equal work—instead of recognizing massive work at home.  Their “worth” is proved only if they perform the Acts of men” whether it is combatants role in Army or it is Speed car racing. They are permanently made to feel inferior by these “tricks”. Hence a huge mass of “Feminists” have been developed by business and corporate men to compete with men and prove their worth. Women unfortunately have fallen into this new trap to “prove” themselves.

Corporate business has also made society into “Sex centric” from family Centric since Societies which are family centric “respect” women in the household as mother/grandmother/mother in law etc. But modern business do not want a society which “respect” women but a society where “women “are craving for rights and which are thrown as crumbs by men. The arrival of Marx and communism re-enforced this stereo type of women in military /women in factories and offices as “progressive” and women at home as “backward”.

Not only that, most of these “developed” countries gave their women voting rights after much agitations and some like Switzerland as late as 1971 in their federal elections.

Unfortunately instead of questioning this whole hypothesis and premise women fell for the single largest trick of men in making them feel that they are worthies only if they ape men in dress/food/ aggression and “office work”

Post contraceptive revolution they are told that they can be more active in paid work place since Child birth is now a choice. Instead of burning women in stalks by calling them witches the modern business burns them in office by asking to “perform” /excel and show results along with unaccounted household work.

The fundamental point that household work is not treated as “productive service” was never discussed since all “renowned Economists” were men.

Colonized countries like India also adopted the same route since colonizers wanted to create a mirror image of their civilization on the “unwashed” in terms of culture/language/economics etc.

Hence we never count million women hours spent by women in cooking/fetching water/bringing up children etc. That is totally lost.

In a pioneering work “GDP and the Value of Family Caretaking: How Much Does Europe Care?

Gianna C. Giannelli University of Florence et all [Discussion Paper No. 5046 July 2010

IZA– Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit Institute for the Study of Labor] estimates

that for Europe as a whole, the total value of these activities ranges between 20.1 per cent and 36.8 per cent of the EU GDP, depending on the applied methodology.

It is all the more shameful for a country like ours where major Gods are women and important things in life like Education/Wealth and Valor are given as boons only by women Gods. WE pray to Lakshmi for wealth /pray to Saraswathi for Education/knowledge/pray to Durga [Parvathi] for valor or power. Actually most men Gods can’t offer many of these worldly thingsJ .Not only that—most of the names of male gods is Pre-fixed with the name of his wife { not suffixedJ] like Sita Raman or Radha Krishnan

We are one of the few living civilizations who recognized the contribution of Women Rishis like Gargi who questioned Sage Yajnavalkya.

We are essentially a “women centric civilization” and predominantly our economy can be called “Feminine Economics” unlike that of Europe and Middle East which are “Masculine Economics”. Masculine economies are destructive and anti-woman while as feminine Economies are nature and animal friendly and preserving by its design. Feminine economics is inclusive /collaborative and Cooperative. Masculine of the Abrahamic faiths are competitive as in war and exclusive and violent in nature.

In the last several centuries trillions of dollars of household work undertaken by women were not counted and it continues even today. In the context of the decline of the west and slow eclipse of Euro Centric view of the world—it is required for countries like India to re-think some of these basic things imposed by colonialism. Even if we take Housework to be same as the “measured work” in an economy like ours –we will find that our GDP is at least twice as big as it is currently counted.

Time has come for ancient but living non-Abrahamic civilizations like India to recognize the services of its women /recount and make a new world order. As a beginning Government can ask some its eminent “internationally known/recognised” economists to estimate the trillions of dollars of uncounted services provided by housewives sorry home makers in India. Somewhere we need to start.

Rainfall check -6 (For September 2016)

Update added at the end of the article on 29th September 2016.

Previous articles:-

Rainfall check - part 1  (Pre-Monsoon showers)

Rainfall check - part 2  (Cyclone Roanu in Bay of Bengal)

Rainfall check - part 3  (Late arrival of SW Monsoon)

Rainfall check - part 4  (For July 2016)

Rainfall check - part 5 (For August 2016)

The scenario for Chennai September 2016 is promising with rains already having started. Right from August 20^th, the planetary combinations for rainfall in Southern parts of India became favourable. It was written in my last month's Rainfall check.

In my post written on February 6th 2016, I noticed scope for formation of storms in August 2016 and wondered whether storms are common in August.

It did turn out that a Low Pressure had formed in the Bay in August and lent some impact to Chennai.

On the Update given on 30^th August, I wrote about the upcoming rains.

The rainfall during Sun’s sojourn through the star (Purva Phalguni) is something which will become proof of prediction in any current period. That means, if it rains in a particular place on the day / at the time of Sun entering a star it can be taken to mean that it will be wet in that place throughout the period of 13 to 14 days of Sun’s movement across that star.

On 30^th August, sun entered Purva Phalguni after 2 PM. It started raining then in my place of observation and it continues to be wet / raining till the time of writing this on 1^st September. The daily Garbottam chart also shows that it will rain on a regular basis during this part of Sun’s movement.

The rainfall prediction based on daily Garbottam observed 6 and a half months ago (Between February 22^nd to March 23^rd) is given below. Dates 1,2,3, 8 and 9^th September had good Garbottam in the corresponding dates and also Moon joining malefics like Rahu and Mars. This is shown in red colour in the chart. The rule is that if sun or moon joins malefics on the day of Garbottam, the rainfall period will see rains accompanied with thunders / storms / hail storms.

Another feature in the Garbottam chart given below is that there was a solar eclipse on the Garbottam observation period. Usually eclipses would mar the rainfall on the rainfall- impact day. That comes on 15^th and 16^th September. The corresponding dates also did not show Garbottam features.

Planetary combinations for rainfall.

Planetary combination for rainfall (ativrishti yoga) continues to exist in the month of September.

(1) Budha- Shukra Sameephya (closeness of Mercury and Venus) is getting over on 12^th September. This marks the end of SW Monsoon for the country.

The next closeness begins of October 27^th 2016 and lasts till 29^th December. That would ensure good rainfall in general thereby ensuring presence of NE Monsoon at that time. Day to day details of that period would be written in a separate post soon.

(2) Presently the following planetary combinations are favouring rainfall in southern regions of India.

a. Mercury is combust and in retrogression. Retrogression started on 30^th August. It was accompanied with a spurt in rainfall in Chennai. Combustion starts on the night of 6^th September. This is likely to trigger a meteorological phenomenon. The IMD foresees upper cyclonic circulation to be formed on 5^th September.

b. On 1^st September Mercury is crossing Jupiter by retrogression. This triggers rainfall. Mercury is crossing in Uttra Phalguni star which signifies countries of the South. This includes the regions of Eastern Ghats, Mahendra parva, Malaya parva (Kerala), catchment areas of Kavery, Vena (Pennai) etc, Ceylon, Kollam and western parts of Karnataka.

c. Sun is crossing Rahu on 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th September. This is also conducive for a trigger factor for some meteorological phenomenon. Rainfall is assured on these days in regions covered by Purva Phalguni namely South east India from Oddhisha to Andhra.

d. Till September 9^th all planets are behind the Sun. This ensures good rainfall until then in south east regions of India. After that Mercury crosses past the Sun to be in front of it thereby breaking the line-up. By 12^th September Mercury goes farther away from Venus thereby bringing an end to rainfall. Normally when this happens in September, it was found to mark the end of SW Monsoon in the past years.

e. However Venus – Jupiter continues in Virgo even after 9^th September. On 9^th Venus comes out of Nirjala Nadi – that is its sojourn in Uttra Phalguni. When Venus is crossing Uttra Phaoguni the rainfall will be deficient. Venus comes out of that phase and starts influencing rainfall along with Jupiter in the southern parts of India. Virgo signifies South. Hastha (in which Venus now passes through) and Uttra Phalguni (in which Jupiter is moving) signify regions of the South as mentioned in point b.

f. On 17^th September Sun enters Virgo. At that time Sun, Mars and Saturn will be in alternating signs. Sun will be in Virgo. Saturn and Mars will be in Scorpio, the sign that alternates with Virgo. This is a very good sign of plentiful rainfall. The same planetary combination occurred during Chennai floods last year. But unfortunately this combination will exist for only 24 hours. Mars will move out of Scorpio on 18^th September. Looking at Garbottam chart 17^th shows moderate rainfall, but 18^th is dry. This might indicate that favourable meteorological features might come up around that time but would get decimated soon. Thereafter the rainfall features are weak till the end of September. 

UPDATE on 25th September:-

The Garbottam chart for Chennai was almost exact on realization of rainfall except on 2 days. They were Sep 8th and Sep 15th. 

The corresponding Garbottam day for Sep 8th had moon conjunct with Rahu thereby indicating rainfall accompanied with thunder or storms. Surging clouds were witnessed on the evening of 8th but it did not rain. The plausible rationale is that the Garbottam features were not strong. My data shows that the corresponding day (March 1) had cloudy and cool breeze between 8 AM and 9 AM. This should have given rains, but a major planetary event was happening on 8th. Mercury was re-entering Leo backwards on that date. Usually, when it enters the next sign, it had triggered rainfall. But now it is entering the previous sign by backward motion, it had spoiled the rainfall! A spoiled rainfall / failed Grbottam must give plenty of rainfall in the next possible date. It happened on Sep 15th!

Ironically Sep 15th was  not supposed to have rainfall due to solar eclipse on the corresponding date. But it rained on 15th. When I checked the data and the thithi etc I found that though Amavasya started at 10-34 AM on March 8th, solar eclipse started on the early morning of March 9th. Garbottam had happened on 8th March around 11-30 AM. This was soon after Amavasya began. This shows that Garbottam can give rains if eclipse was not running at that time. This also means that the entire day need not be rejected on account of eclipse. Only the exact timing matters. Moreover the deferred rainfall due to Mercury's re-entry into the previous sign had to give its due on this date as it is the next major Garbottam realization day. 

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The general rainfall scenario for this month of September followed the planetary predictions - but with an exception. From September 21st onwards, heavy rains lashed Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with Hyderabad receiving the century's highest rainfall for September during this period. Many areas were flooded with Mahanadi posing flood-threat.

Source: Skymet weather

Earlier in the article I have noted down the date - 17th September as the date capable of giving heavy rains. But the combination dissipated within 24 hours. 

The heavy rainfall that started on 21st can be linked to the movement of Mercury. Mercury was in retrogression from August 30th onwards. It did rain on that date. Further on Mercury moved backwards and entered the previous sign Leo on September 8th - 9th. The re-entry failed to give rain to South India / Tamilnadu (Mercury in Uttara Phalguni) at that time. Mercury kept moving into the sign till 21st September. On that date it reached the limit of its retrogression and on 22nd it started the forward motion. These two dates were marked with heavy rains on the regions denoted by Purva Phalguni as Mercury was moving in that star. The regions coming under Purva Phalguni are those from Andhra Pradesh to Oddhisha, Kiskinda (North of Deccan plateau) South of Vindhya mountains. These regions received heavy rainfall on the dates starting from Mercury's turn around motion. 

These rains will continue till 30th September as Mercury continues to be in Purva Phalguni until them. Thereafter it enters Uttara Phalguni. Uttara Phalguni indicates region south of Andhra, that is, Tamilnadu. On 3rd October, Mercury re-enters Virgo where it will be chasing Jupiter. Normally entry into a sign has come with rainfall. This time it is re-entry in the forward direction. This is likely to trigger rainfall as Garbottam chart for October for Chennai shows rainfall from October 4th onwards. 



UPDATE on 29th September:

It rained well since 26th September in Chennai in my place and other parts of Chennai. The Garbottam chart shows rains on 25th September and not on dates after that. When I checked the data, I found that the Garbottam occurred on 17th March in Arudra star. Though the corresponding date is 25th September, the garbottam in Arudra can give rains for many days in the rainfall realisation  date. As per rule if good Garbottam occurs in Arudra star in the month of Panguni, it would rain for 24 days in the realisation period. 

Quoting from my first article in the current series on Rainfall observation (here):-

On March 16th and 17th when Moon was transiting Arudra there was cloudiness at night and day. Sun was hidden for most part and there was pleasant breeze. The result started in 26th September and is likely to continue for 24 days as per rule. The further Garbottam chart for October shows wetness on most days in October though the intensity of rains is not high on all days. 

Another feature corresponding to the rainfall date is the forward transit of Mercury after retrogression in Purva phalguni star. Generally Purva Phalguni gives rains. Moon is also presently transiting the sign of Leo where Purva phalguni is located. All these combine to ensure wet climate.

SWM retreat:

As per IMD, SWM started retreating from 28th September onwards. In the article above I connected the retreat / withdrawal to the ending of Mercury- Venus closeness. It occurred on 12th September. But the actual retreat started on 28th September. When I checked the distances between Mercury and Venus, I found out a new revelation. Mercury and Venus were at their maximum gap of 48 degrees from 28th September onwards. This lasts till 5th October. From 6th October onwards, the gap is getting reduced gradually degree by degree. Therefore the learning is that monsoon retreat starts when these two planets reach the maximum distance between themselves.  

On 27th October the closeness between Mercury and Venus begins thereby ushering in a rainfall period again which can be linked to NEM. On that date, Mercury is in deep conjunction with Sun and will be behind Venus by 7 degrees. This is perfect setting for good rainfall. 

However my Garbottam chart for October shows that on the corresponding Garbottam date for 25th October - which was April 17th, , wind direction changed for the first time to south- south west. That means wind direction will be from North - North east from 25th October onwards. I am eager to check this onset of wind in October. The details will be posted shortly.