It was Friday, day 7 of the Brahmotsavam and the urchavars were having Thirumanjanam with the chanting of sookthams by our bhagavathas at the background.
It was a clear day. The Suryabhagavaan was in his full blaze already. He was at the back of the Perumal and Thayaars at such an angle, his rays fell directly only at right "thiruvadi" of the Perumaal and nowhere else on the front side their uncovered thirumeni..
Then the rays from His right thiruvadi reflected back to his right chest (vala maarbhu) creating a bright radiance of light in the shape of an inclined heart (and of an abhaya hastham in side angle at close up) , leading our eyes to His "Vaksha Sthala". I realised that this will be there only for a fraction of a minute or so and will disappear as soon as the rays move away from His feet. I decided to capture this moment straight away.
So, immediately I took the snap against the sunlight in the auto mode but ended up getting a blurred image. I took another photo with flash on and the image was too bright and flashy at such a close range. With the shadows slowly creeping in from His left side, I went clueless to catch His beauty.
I looked at my left. Our Arun Swami was standing next to me getting ready for the neerattal pasurams. So in a flash of a second, I took a position under Sri Arun swami's nizhal (shadow), so that the sun rays doesn't fall on my camera lens, and took this photo from a height slightly bending my knees. This was it..(which also reiterate the fact that we can always get to Him through a bhagavatha sambandham)
So enjoy the beauty of the Perumal in the natural sunlight and the glowing Vaksha Sthala where, ahalahillaen irayum enru alarmelmangai urai maarbha !!
By,
Ramesh Raghuraman