June 26 1974

Title

The Marriage ceremony (Day 2/2) of Lokanayaki Amma and Arunachalam - biological parents of His Divine Holiness (The Avatar)

Description

Lokanayaki and Arunachalam are the biological parents of The Avatar. They entered matrimony on 26 June 1974, blissfully oblivious that Cosmos was executing its most auspicious plan for humanity through their marriage. They entered in utter innocence, with normal human expectations from each other and life. Their simplicity is revered and respected not only in Tiruvannamalai - their hometown, but by the disciples and followers of The Avatar today worldwide, and fondly acknowledged by The Avatar Himself, as a tribute to them and teaching to humanity forever.

Link to Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.487007861660274

Photos

The marriage ceremony started with its preliminary rituals the previous day itself. Photographs from the previous day are available under June 25 1974

1974 | This is the wedding album of The Avatar's biological parents Lokanayaki and Arunachalam. The wedding took place in Tiruvannamalai, at the famous "Oya Mutt" on 26 June 1974, four years prior to His Descent.

26 June 1974 - Wedding celebrations of The Avatar's biological parents at Oya Mutt, just opposite His house in Tiruvoodal Street, Tiruvannamalai. The wedding rituals started early in the morning.

26 June 1974 - Wedding celebrations of The Avatar's Biological parents at Oya Mutt, just opposite His house in Tiruvoodal Street, Tiruvannamalai. Rituals in progress.

26 June 1974 - Wedding celebrations of The Avatar's biological parents at Oya Mutt, just opposite His house in Tiruvoodal Street, Tiruvannamalai. His mother is performing pada puja (washing the feet of the oldest living couple of the family on the paternal side) to Thangavelu Mudaliar and his wife. He is the maternal grandfather Raju Mudaliar thatha's uncle.

26 June 1974 - Wedding celebrations of The Avatar's biological parents at Oya Mutt, just opposite His house in Tiruvoodal Street, Tiruvannamalai. The father is performing pada puja (washing the feet of the oldest living couple of the family on the paternal side) to his own older brother and his wife - Kumarasamy and Shivabhushanam. The paternal grandfather Annamalai Chettiar had passed away by then and so The Avatar's uncle and his wife were the oldest living couple in the father's paternal side.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai. This is the moment of His father tying the mangalsutra or sacred thread around His mother's neck - completing the wedlock.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai. His father is tying the mangalsutra or sacred thread around His mother's neck.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai. Rituals after tying of the sacred thread are in progress.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai. Wedding rituals are in progress.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai. The Avatar's maternal grandfather Raju Mudaliar thatha's uncle (father's younger brother) Thangavelu Mudaliar is showering blessings ritualistically on the wedded couple.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai. The Avatar's maternal grandfather Raju Mudaliar thatha is showering blessings ritualistically on the wedded couple.

26 June 1974 - During The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai, the mother's younger brother Shanmugam is giving nelpori (puffed rice) to the father as part of the ritualistic tradition.

26 June 1974 - During The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai, as part of the ritualistic tradition, His father is inserting a gold ring on the finger of His mother's younger brother Shanmugam.

26 June 1974 - During The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai, as part of the wedding rituals, His father is inserting a silver toe ring on His mother.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's biological parents after tying the wedding knot at Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai.

26 June 1974 - With The Avatar's biological parents, during their wedding ceremony in Oya Mutt in Tiruvannamalai, are seen from left to right The Avatar's four paternal grandmothers: Dhanakoti Ammal - wife of Sami Chettiar who is His paternal grandfather Annamalai Chettiar's older brother, Kannammal - Annamalai Chettiar's second sister, Dhanakoti Ammal - Annamalai Chettiar's third sister and Anusuya Paatti - Annamalai Chettiar's wife. Annamalai Chettiar and Anusuya Paatti are The Avatar's own paternal grandparents.

26 June 1974 - Group photo with family and friends during The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt in Tiruvannamalai.

26 June 1974 - Seen with The Avatar's biological parents during their wedding celebrations in Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai, is His paternal grandmother Anusuya Paatti on the extreme left, her brother Subburayar Chettiar standing next to His father, and his wife Sarojini Amma next to The Avatar's mother. Subburayar Chettiar was locally called 'Express' as he used to walk extremely fast, especially behind the temple deities that went around on wheels in procession.

26 June 1974 - Seen with The Avatar's biological parents in Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai, during their wedding celebrations, is from left to right: Andal amma (daughter of Dhanakoti Amma who is His paternal grandfather Annamalai Chettiar's sister), Andal amma's brother's wife Lokanayaki, brother Krishnamoorthi and son Shekar. The small boy is Shanmugam, His mother's younger brother.

26 June 1974 - With The Avatar's biological parents' during their wedding celebrations in Oya Mutt, Tiruvannamalai, are seen from left to right, Jaikumari - His father's sister, Anusuya Paatti - His paternal grandmother, and next to His father, friends who attended the wedding. The youngster in half trousers is Anbazhagan, part of the family, who later married His mother's younger sister Shanti.

26 June 1974 - Group photo with friends during The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt in Tiruvannamalai. The young boy wearing half trousers on the extreme right, is from the family. He is Anbazhagan, who later married The Avatar's mother's younger sister Shanti.

26 June 1974 - Group photo with family and friends during The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt in Tiruvannamalai.

26 June 1974 - The Avatar's maternal grandfather Raju Mudaliar thatha was an eminent person in Tiruvannamalai and a rice merchant in Mandi Street. The rice merchant opposite his shop is seen offering a gift to the wedding couple - The Avatar's biological parents' during their wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt in Tiruvannamalai.

26 June 1974 - Group photo taken with friends during The Avatar's biological parents' wedding celebrations at Oya Mutt in Tiruvannamalai.

Interview with Family Nadaswaram instrumentalist

Shri L. Pichandi, a veteran Nadaswaram instrumentalist from Tiruvannamalai, shares his decades-long association with The Avatar's biological family and memories of being the chosen Nadaswaram player for the marriage ceremony of The Avatar's biological parents.