Frequently asked questions

It is the living tradition of worshipping Sriman Narayana together with Sri, Mahalakshmi, as the Alwars sang and the acharyas taught. Its teaching was made clear to the world by Sri Ramanuja, and it lives on in the temples, in our homes, and in the bond between an acharya and a disciple.

Because we worship the Lord as Sriman Narayana, the one who is never without Sri. The sampradaya never thinks of Him apart from Piratti, and its Guru Parampara begins with the Lord teaching Periya Piratti. A Sri Vaishnava is one who belongs to this Divine Couple, connected to them by an acharya.

It is the teaching of the sampradaya, made clear by Sri Ramanuja. There is one Supreme Reality, Sriman Narayana. All souls (chit) and all matter (achit) are His body: real and distinct, yet never apart from Him, just as a body is never apart from its soul.

That you are a soul, eternal and distinct from the body, and that you belong to the Lord. The soul is sesha, one who exists for another, and the Lord is the seshi, the one for whom all exist. This belonging is the soul's first and deepest truth, and it is why serving Him brings the soul its true joy.

The one Lord whom the whole sampradaya worships, always with Sri. The name Narayana tells us that He is the home of all beings and dwells within all of them. The elders speak of five ways He makes Himself known: in Paramapadam, in His vyuha forms, in His avataras such as Rama and Krishna, within every being, and in the temple.

Because Piratti is our purushakaram, the one who recommends us to the Lord. Our mother stands between us and Him, softens His heart toward our faults and turns our hearts toward Him. She is not a separate means; she brings us to the One who is the means. This is why devotees go to Thayar's sannidhi first, and why surrender in our sampradaya begins at her feet.

In the temple form, the archa avatara, the Lord lets His devotees see Him, bathe Him, dress Him and feed Him. Of all His forms it is the easiest to reach, and out of love He depends on His devotees there as if He had no power of His own. The Alwars sang most of all of the Lord in the temples, the Divya Desams.

Twelve saints whose hearts were immersed in the Lord's qualities. The word comes from the Tamil for "one who is immersed". They are Poigai Alwar, Bhoothath Alwar, Pey Alwar, Thirumazhisai Alwar, Nammalwar, Madhurakavi Alwar, Kulasekhara Alwar, Periyalwar, Andal, Thondaradippodi Alwar, Thiruppan Alwar and Thirumangai Alwar. Their lives are on the Alwars pages.

The four thousand sacred Tamil verses: the pasurams of the twelve Alwars, completed by Thiruvarangathu Amudhanar's Ramanuja Nootrandadi in praise of Sri Ramanuja. They were almost lost until Nathamunigal recovered and arranged them, and they are sung in temples and homes to this day. The Divya Prabandham guide lists every work.

The elders teach that the Divya Prabandham, and above all Swami Nammalwar's Tiruvaymozhi, reveals the same truth as the Sanskrit Vedas, in sweet and simple Tamil that is open to all. That is why it is recited before the Lord in the temples, and why it is honoured as the Dravida Veda.

Many Sri Vaishnavas begin with Periyalwar's Thiruppallandu, with which our recitation opens, and Andal's Thiruppavai, sung every day of Margazhi. Both are part of the daily recitation, the nithyanusandhanam. Learn them by listening to a teacher rather than from a page, and ask your acharya or your elders what your family recites.

The unbroken chain of teachers through which the sampradaya's knowledge has come down to us. It begins with Sriman Narayana Himself, passes through Periya Piratti, Senai Mudaliyar (Vishvaksena) and Swami Nammalwar to Nathamunigal, and flows on through Sri Ramanuja and Manavala Mamunigal to our own acharyas today. See the acharyas.

Sri Ramanuja set out the sampradaya's teaching for the world, above all in his Sri Bhashyam on the Brahma Sutras. He opened its saving teaching to everyone who wished to be saved, and so he is called Emperumanar, "our Lord". According to tradition, Namperumal at Srirangam named him Udayavar, placing both this world and Paramapadam in his care.

The acharya with whom the Guru Parampara is complete. He restored the worship and traditions of Srirangam after long years of disturbance, and wrote commentaries that let later generations understand Pillai Lokacharya's works. According to tradition, Namperumal Himself accepted him as His own acharya, and gave the taniyan in his praise that is recited before every recitation of the Divya Prabandham.

A taniyan is a short verse in praise of an acharya or Alwar, recited before their work or at the start of any recitation. It honours the one through whom the work reached us, so that we never receive the Lord's word without remembering who gave it.

The artha panchakam: who the Lord is, who I am, the means to reach Him, the goal, and what stands in the way. The elders say that all of scripture speaks of these five.

Surrender: the soul's glad acceptance that the Lord alone is its protector and its means. It is not a deed we offer in exchange for being saved. The Lord Himself is the means, already accomplished (siddhopaya); prapatti is simply the soul ceasing to stand in the way and letting Him save it, as He always wished to. It is done with Piratti's recommendation, and received from one's acharya.

Bhakti yoga is the path of steady, loving meditation taught in the Upanishads and the Gita, which needs great strength and many lifetimes. The elders compare it to a baby monkey that must cling to its mother as she leaps. Prapatti is like the kitten that the mother cat carries: it relies wholly on her strength. For one who has taken refuge, love for the Lord is not a means to reach Him; it is a joy in itself and grows into service.

The three secrets: the Thirumantram, the Dvayam and the Charama Sloka. Together they teach who we are, who the Lord is, how He saves us and what we live for. They are received from one's acharya at samashrayanam and learned from the acharya, not from a page. Pillai Lokacharya's Mumukshuppadi, with Manavala Mamunigal's commentary, is the beloved first book for understanding them.

Loving service to the Lord, done for His joy and not our own. Because the soul exists for Him, kainkaryam is the very goal of its nature. It begins here in small daily services, a garland, a lamp, a kolam, a pasuram sung, and it is made perfect in Paramapadam. The elders teach that serving the Lord's devotees is the highest point of serving Him.

For one who has taken refuge, the Lord grants moksha at the end of this very life. Moksha is more than release from the cycle of births: it is reaching the Lord in Paramapadam, His supreme abode, to serve Him and Piratti forever with the nitya suris and the muktas.

Through samashrayanam, in which an acharya accepts a person as a disciple and connects them to the Lord. It is done through the pancha samskaram, the five purifications: the Lord's discus and conch marked on the shoulders, wearing Thiruman, a servant-name, the three rahasyas, and learning to worship the Lord. From that day one is a Sri Vaishnava.

Yes. The acharya gives us the Lord's mantras, explains their meaning and lives what he teaches, and the elders teach that the soul is saved through its bond with the acharya. To find one, ask Sri Vaishnava families you know, or at a matham or temple of the sampradaya near you. The acharya accepts you out of grace; it is a lifelong relationship, not a service you buy.

The white lines of Thiruman stand for the Lord's holy feet, and the line of Srichurnam in the centre stands for Thayar. Wearing them, a Sri Vaishnava carries the Divine Couple wherever they go, and shows that they belong to the Lord.

Remember that you belong to the Lord, and let the day be service. Many begin with the daily recitation, such as Thiruppallandu and Thiruppavai, offer what they cook to Perumal before eating it as prasadam, and end the day with His names. Your acharya will teach you your own daily worship and recitation.

Ekadasi, the eleventh day of each lunar fortnight, is kept by Sri Vaishnavas as a day of fasting and remembering the Lord, out of love for Him and not as a price paid to earn anything. The fast is broken the next morning, on Dwadasi, within a set window called the parana. The Vyloka calendar gives each Ekadasi and its parana time for Srirangam.

As family, whatever their birth. The Lord holds His devotees dearer than Himself, so the elders teach that serving them is the highest service, and that an offence against a devotee, bhagavata apachara, is graver than an offence against the Lord. The lives of the Alwars and acharyas are full of devotees honoured for their love, not their birth.

The heart of a Sri Vaishnava's daily prayer is the nithyanusandhanam, the daily recitation: a set of the Alwars' pasurams and the acharyas' works, such as Periyalwar's Thiruppallandu and Andal's Thiruppavai. Families and acharyas differ in what they recite and when, so learn your own set from your acharya or your elders. Even a single pasuram said with love each day is a beginning.

Most begin with the taniyans, the verses in praise of their acharya and the Guru Parampara, so that we never take up the Lord's word without remembering those who gave it to us. Thiruppallandu, with which our recitation opens, usually comes next. What follows depends on the time of day and on your family's tradition, which your acharya will teach you.

The hour before sunrise is treasured as the quietest time for the mind to turn to the Lord, and many families recite then. Many also light the lamp before Perumal at dusk and recite again, and end the day with His names. If your day does not allow this, keep whatever regular time you can; the Lord values the love more than the hour.

Thiruvaradhanam is the daily worship of Perumal at home, the worship one learns at samashrayanam as part of the pancha samskaram. In it the Lord is honoured as a beloved guest: woken, offered water, flowers, a lamp and food, sung to, and put to rest. Its form is taught by your acharya; until then, a lamp, a flower and a pasuram offered with love are worship He accepts.

A clean, quiet place for Perumal and Thayar, however small, is the centre of a Sri Vaishnava home. Many families keep there an image or picture of the Divine Couple, the Alwars and their acharya, a lamp, and the books they recite from. If your family keeps a saligrama or a consecrated image, look after it as your elders and acharya have taught.

Offer what has been cooked to Perumal first, and then eat it as His prasadam, the food He has accepted. This turns every meal into an act of remembrance. Many families say a short prayer at the offering; your acharya or elders will teach you the one your family uses.

Remember that you belong to Him, say His names, and recite even one pasuram. Those who have received the Dvayam from their acharya keep it in their hearts through the day, as the elders teach. A few minutes given with attention every day is worth more than an hour kept now and then.

Yes. Families pause some formal worship and recitation at certain times, such as during theetu after a death in the family, and customs differ from family to family. The Lord's names are never out of place. Ask your elders or your acharya what your family observes.

Learn them by listening, as devotees always have: from a teacher, from family elders, or from a recording made by those who recite in the tradition. Editions in Telugu and Devanagari script are widely used. Learn the meaning alongside the words, and see the Divya Prabandham guide for what each work is about.

Begin with love, and let the meaning grow. The Lord accepts the recitation of one who does not yet understand every word. But the Alwars' words are full of meaning, and the acharyas' commentaries, the vyakhyanams, open them up; learning them from a teacher turns recitation into understanding and understanding into deeper love.

Adiyen is Tamil for "this servant". A Sri Vaishnava humbly speaks of himself or herself this way, remembering that the soul belongs to the Lord and exists for Him. It is not a show of humility but a reminder of who we truly are.

Dasan and dasi mean "servant", so a name such as "Ramanuja dasan" means "servant of Ramanuja". Being the servant of the Lord, of the acharyas and of the Lord's devotees is the greatest honour a Sri Vaishnava can hold. That is why devotees often sign their letters and introduce themselves this way.

At samashrayanam the acharya gives a servant-name, the dasya nama, as one of the five purifications of the pancha samskaram. It marks the soul's belonging to the Lord, and it is usually a name of the Lord or of an acharya joined with dasan or dasi. Your acharya gives it, and it is yours to carry for life.

Devareer is a respectful word for "you" that Sri Vaishnavas use when speaking to one another, and Swamin is a respectful way of addressing a devotee, meaning "revered one". Both come from seeing in every Sri Vaishnava someone who belongs to the Lord, and so deserves honour whatever their birth or age.

Perumal is Tamil for "the Great One", the loving name for the Lord, above all as He stands in a temple; each Divya Desam has its own Perumal with His own name. Thayar means "Mother", the name for Piratti as she is worshipped in the temple. Piratti is Sri Mahalakshmi, the Lord's divine consort, never apart from Him even for a moment.

Sri is Mahalakshmi, and as a prefix it means holy and auspicious, belonging to Her and to the Lord. Thiru is its Tamil form. So Thirumalai is the holy hill, Tiruvaymozhi the holy word, and a thirunakshatram the holy star of an Alwar or acharya. Names that begin with Sri or Thiru remind us that everything holy belongs to the Divine Couple.

Alwar means "one who is immersed", and is the title of the twelve saints whose hearts were immersed in the Lord's qualities. An acharya is the teacher who gives us the Lord's mantras, explains their meaning and lives what he teaches. A jeeyar is a Sri Vaishnava sannyasi, often the head of a matham, who guides disciples and serves the temple; Manavala Mamunigal is lovingly called Periya Jeeyar.

Each name remembers something about them. Swami Nammalwar, "our own Alwar", is also Satakopan, Maran and Parankusan. Andal is Kodhai and Sudikkodutha Nachiyar, the one who gave the Lord the garland she had worn. Sri Ramanuja is Emperumanar, Udayavar, Yatiraja and Bhashyakarar, the author of the Sri Bhashyam. Manavala Mamunigal is Periya Jeeyar, Yatheendra Pravanar and Ramya Jamatru Muni. The Alwars and acharyas pages tell the story behind each name.

With the greatest respect, as the one through whom the Lord's grace reaches us. Sri Vaishnavas address an acharya as Swami, and a jeeyar as Jeeyar Swami, and speak of their own acharya with love and honour, never casually. Follow the way your family and your acharya's disciples address him.

As a life of service shared by two. A Sri Vaishnava home is meant to be centred on Perumal and Thayar, the Divine Couple who are never apart, and husband and wife support each other in serving Them and Their devotees. Andal, who longed to marry the Lord Himself, is the sampradaya's reminder that every bond finds its meaning in Him.

The rites follow the Vedic marriage ceremony that your family keeps, conducted by your family priest. Around them, Sri Vaishnava families worship Perumal and Thayar first, recite taniyans and the Divya Prabandham, and seek their acharya's blessing. Many families sing Andal's Vaaranam Aayiram, the sixth decad of her Nachiyar Thirumozhi, in which she describes her dream of her wedding to the Lord.

The Lord. Many families place the first wedding invitation before Perumal, at home or at their family's temple, and then offer one to their acharya before inviting anyone else. It is a way of saying that the wedding is His before it is ours.

Families fix the date, the muhurtham, with their family priest, using the panchangam and the couple's details. Some months are traditionally kept for the Lord rather than for weddings; Margazhi, for example, is given to Andal's Thiruppavai. Your family priest and elders will tell you what your family observes.

Yes. Anyone who wishes to belong to the Lord can be accepted by an acharya through samashrayanam, and the sampradaya honours devotees for their love, not their birth. Speak to your acharya, who can guide your spouse and your family with care. A home in which both can serve the Lord together is a blessing for everyone in it.

Set up the Lord's place in your home, however simple: Perumal and Thayar, a lamp, and the daily recitation. If either of you has not yet received samashrayanam, ask your acharya about it. Visit your family's Perumal and the Divya Desams together when you can, and make serving devotees a part of your life from the start.

Families keep the samskaras of childhood that their tradition follows, such as the naming ceremony and the first feeding of rice, with their family priest. Many Sri Vaishnava families give children names of the Lord, of Thayar, of the Alwars or of the acharyas, so that every call of the child's name is also a remembrance. When a child is old enough, the acharya decides about samashrayanam.

Upanayanam is a Vedic samskara, the sacred thread ceremony, kept by families whose tradition includes it. Samashrayanam is the Sri Vaishnava initiation in which an acharya connects a person to the Lord through the pancha samskaram, and it is open to all. They are different ceremonies, and one does not take the place of the other; your family priest guides the first and your acharya the second.

For a new home, many families bring Perumal in first, light the lamp and recite before anything else, with the rites their family priest advises. Milestone birthdays, such as the sixtieth and eightieth, are kept as days of thanksgiving to the Lord. On every such occasion, honouring and feeding Sri Vaishnavas, and offering kainkaryam at a temple, is a cherished way to give thanks.

For one who has taken refuge at the Lord's feet, the end of this life is not an ending. It is the day the Lord takes the soul home to Paramapadam, to serve Him and Piratti forever. That is why Sri Vaishnavas speak of a devotee who has passed as having reached Thirunadu, the Lord's own land, or His holy feet. The elders teach that the Lord Himself leads the soul there along the path of light, the archiradi gati.

No. Grief is love that has lost its place to rest, and the sampradaya does not ask you to hide it. The Alwars themselves wept for the Lord. What the teaching offers is a place to bring that grief: the one you love belongs to the Lord, as you do, and He holds them now. In the Gita's Charama Sloka the Lord tells the soul that has taken refuge in Him that it need not grieve. Let the tears come, and let them turn toward Him.

Stay close, and let the Lord's names and the Alwars' pasurams be heard around them, gently and without strain. Let them hear their acharya's name if they have one. Do not fear if they can no longer remember the Lord themselves: the elders teach, from the Lord's own promise as Varaha, that for His devotee He Himself does the remembering at the end. If they have not received samashrayanam and wish to, speak to an acharya without delay.

Call your family elders, the priest who conducts your family's rites, and your acharya. The rites, their timing, and who performs them depend on your family's tradition, your region and your relationship to the one who has passed, so let them guide each step rather than a general list. Inform the Sri Vaishnavas close to your family; it is a time when the community gathers around the bereaved.

Because the scriptures are the Lord's own command, and a Sri Vaishnava keeps them as service to Him, not to earn anything or to change what He has already done. The final rites and the observances that follow are done with love for the one who has passed and in obedience to Him. Your family priest and your acharya will tell you which rites your family keeps, and how.

After a death in the family, a period of ritual observance follows, called theetu. During it, families usually keep away from temples, festivals and auspicious events. How long it lasts depends on your relationship to the one who has passed and on your family's custom, whether it is a parent, a sibling or another relative. Ask your elders or your acharya for what applies to you.

The Lord's names and the Divya Prabandham, as your family's custom and your acharya allow. Many families recite Swami Nammalwar's Tiruvaimozhi 10.9, which describes the soul's journey to Paramapadam, and some arrange for the Divya Prabandham to be recited at home by those who know it. Ask your acharya what is fitting for each day.

Keep the observances your family follows on the monthly and yearly days, and offer kainkaryam in their memory: oil for a temple lamp, flowers for the Lord, feeding and serving Sri Vaishnavas, supporting the recitation of the Divya Prabandham. The elders teach that serving the Lord's devotees pleases Him most, so service to devotees is a fitting way to remember someone who belonged to Him.

Be present, and help in practical ways: bring food, take care of errands, sit with them. Speak of the one who has passed with love, and remind the family, gently and only if they welcome it, that their loved one has reached the Lord's feet. Join them in reciting if they wish. Grief is not a time for debate or advice; quiet company is often the kindest kainkaryam.

The year follows the Tamil months. In Chithirai comes Sri Ramanuja's thirunakshatram, in Vaikasi Swami Nammalwar's, and in Aadi Andal's Aadi Pooram. Krishna's birth falls in Aavani. Purattasi has its Saturdays for Thiruvenkatamudaiyan and Navaratri for Thayar. Aippasi brings Deepavali and the thirunakshatrams of the first three Alwars and Manavala Mamunigal, and Karthigai the lamps of Karthigai Deepam. Margazhi is the month of the Thiruppavai and Vaikunta Ekadasi, Thai begins with Pongal, and Panguni brings Panguni Uthiram, with Sri Rama Navami in Panguni or Chithirai. The calendar gives each day.

A vratam is a vow kept for a day or a season: a fast, a simple meal, an early rising, a recitation, a lamp. For a Sri Vaishnava it is an act of love for the Lord and obedience to Him, never a bargain to win something from Him. Andal's Thiruppavai is itself a vratam, the Margazhi nombu, and what she asks for at its end is only to serve Him.

The birth-star day of an Alwar or acharya, kept each year in their Tamil month and nakshatra. Devotees gather at their sannidhi, recite their works and taniyans, and give thanks that they came among us. The calendar lists every thirunakshatram.

It is the Ekadasi of the bright fortnight in Margazhi, when the Paramapada Vasal of the temple is opened and the Lord comes through it, reminding us of the day the soul enters Paramapadam. It opens the Ira Pathu of the Adhyayana Utsavam. Families keep it like every Ekadasi, with fasting and remembrance; many keep vigil through the night with the Lord's names and pasurams, and break the fast on Dwadasi within the parana window.

In the Gita, Sri Krishna names Margashirsha among His own glories. In Margazhi, Andal's Thiruppavai is sung every dawn, and the Adhyayana Utsavam recites the whole Divya Prabandham before the Lord. Vaikunta Ekadasi, when the Paramapada Vasal opens, falls in this month.

Krishna's birth is kept in Aavani, either by the Rohini star, as Sri Jayanthi, or by the eighth day of the dark fortnight, as Gokulashtami; temples and families differ, so follow your own temple and family. Many families fast until the evening, draw small footprints from the door to the shrine as if the child Krishna has walked in, and offer Him the sweets and savouries He loved.

On Panguni Uthiram, Sri Ranganatha and Sri Ranganayaki are seen together at Srirangam, the Divine Couple side by side. On this day, according to tradition, Sri Ramanuja surrendered to Them and composed his Saranagati Gadyam, addressing Thayar first. It is a day to remember that we approach the Lord with Piratti.

The Saturdays of Purattasi are given to Thiruvenkatamudaiyan, the Lord of Thirumala, whose own thirunakshatram, Thiruvonam, also falls in this month. Many families keep the day with a simple meal or a fast, light a lamp for Him, and offer what their family tradition offers.

Thiruvonam, the Shravana star, is dear to Sri Vaishnavas as the star of Thiruvenkatamudaiyan and of Vamana. Each month, when it returns, many families keep the day as a vratam with a fast or a single meal and remembrance of the Lord. The calendar marks it every month.

In the month of Karthigai, on the Karthigai star, homes and temples are filled with lamps. Sri Vaishnava temples light Vishnu Deepam, also called Perumal Karthigai, on the following day, and many homes light their lamps then for Perumal.

Sri Vaishnavas worship Sriman Narayana, always with Thayar, as the Alwars did, and keep the festivals of the year in that light: Navaratri for Thayar, Deepavali for the Lord's victory over Narakasura. This is single-minded devotion, not disrespect toward anyone; a Sri Vaishnava never speaks ill of another's faith. If you are unsure about a festival in your home, ask your acharya.

Then do not. The Lord does not want His devotee to come to harm, and a vratam is kept with love, not strain. Eat simply, keep the day with His names and the pasurams, and ask your doctor and your acharya what is right for you.

Because the Alwars' and acharyas' thirunakshatrams are kept by the Tamil solar month and the birth star, as the temples keep them. Ekadasi and many festivals follow the lunar tithi. The Vyloka calendar computes both for Srirangam; your own temple may keep a festival a day apart, so confirm with its panchangam.

The 108 sacred abodes of the Lord praised by the Alwars in their pasurams. Of these, 106 are on this earth, and two, Thiruppaarkadal (the Milk Ocean) and Paramapadam, are beyond it. The Alwars' pasurams on a temple are their mangalasasanam of it, their loving wish that no harm should ever touch the Lord there. See the Divya Desams.

Bathe, wear clean clothes as the temple asks, and wear the Thiruman if you are a Sri Vaishnava. Go with a quiet mind, as a guest going to see a beloved host. Many devotees take something to offer, such as flowers, tulasi or oil for the lamp. Each temple has its own customs on dress and timings, so learn them before you go.

Sri Vaishnavas speak of seeing the Lord in the temple as His sevai, His gracious appearance to us. Temples open early, and the first sevai of the morning is especially dear to devotees. The sanctum is closed at certain times, such as when food is being offered to the Lord, so check the temple's timings, and on festival days allow for crowds.

We reach the Lord through the acharya and through Thayar, so many Sri Vaishnavas first worship at the sannidhis of the Alwars and acharyas and at Thayar's sannidhi, and then go to Perumal. Follow the way the temple itself leads devotees in. At each sannidhi, stand quietly, fold your hands, and let your eyes rest on the Lord before you.

Flowers, tulasi, oil or ghee for the lamps, fruit, and above all your time. Many temples welcome kainkaryam, loving service: helping to make garlands, cleaning, or joining the recitation. Whatever you give, give it for the Lord's joy and not to get something back.

Theertham is holy water given to devotees, usually from the Lord's sacred bath or offered at His feet; it is received in the right palm and sipped with reverence. The satari is the crown bearing the Lord's holy feet, placed on each devotee's head. It is named after Swami Nammalwar, Satakopan, who is honoured as the Lord's very feet, so receiving it means bowing under His feet through the Alwar.

Yes, quietly, so as not to disturb others. When the Divya Prabandham is being recited before the Lord by a goshti, the group of reciters, listen with attention, and join in if you know the words. Taking part in the recitation is itself a kainkaryam to the Lord and to His devotees.

When the festival form of the Lord, the utsavar, comes out in procession, stand respectfully, fold your hands, and make way for Him and those who carry Him. Many devotees walk with the procession and join the recitation that goes before Him. Families along the streets often clean their doorsteps, draw a kolam and light a lamp to welcome Him.

Idle talk, phone calls, and photographs where the temple does not allow them. Do not push in the queue, and be patient with other devotees, who are as dear to the Lord as you are; the elders teach that an offence against a devotee is graver than one against the Lord. Eat only the prasadam the temple gives, and never waste it.

As a pilgrim rather than a tourist. Many devotees first worship at Thayar's sannidhi, so that she may bring them to Perumal, and remember the Alwars who sang of the temple, reciting a few of their pasurams if they can. Follow each temple's own customs for dress and timings. The yatra planner groups nearby temples into circuits and lets you mark the ones you have visited.

No. Sri Paduka is an AI companion that explains what the sampradaya teaches, in the light of the acharyas, and it can make mistakes. For your own anushthanam, samashrayanam, family rituals or any decision in your life, please go to your acharya.