N.Sumathe*, & P.Jeyabalakrishnan**
*Ph.D., Research Scholar in History, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.
** Assistant Professor in History, DDE, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar.
Abstract
Festivals or utsavoms are ceremonies which are celebrated once in a year in all the temples of minor Gods, with all the attendant pujas and cultural programmes. In a majority of the temples, festivals are conducted only-once in a year. Those temples where festivals are celebrated two or three times in a year are not, rare. The extent of the festival days varies from temple to temple. In most of the temples the festival lasts for ten days where as in some others it lasts for only six or eight days.
Festivals at Nagaraja Temple:
The annual festival of Nagaraja Temple is conducted in the month of ‘Thai’ for ten days1. In every month, special pujas are performed. Among them, ‘Ailya’ puja is a significant one. It is celebrated on Ailya Star every month. Pilgrims from different parts of the district visit this temple on all Sundays of ‘Aavani’. Especially ladies throng to this temple on that day and the temple wears a festive look. Ladies who come to visit the temple on that day, pour milk on the idols of Nagaraja, which are kept under the baniyan tree. Further they offer salt, pepper and wooden articles as offerings to the deity.
Festivals at Bhagavathi Temple
Every year in the month of Meenam corresponding to the English, month March-April, an important festival, lasting for-ten days is observed, in the Bhagavathi temples. The festival begins with the Kodiyettu function which takes place on an auspicious day of the month, the star associated with the day being ‘utratam’2. On all the ten days of the festival the regular pujas are performed as usual. Ezhunnellippu, which is conducted on all the ten days of the festival consists in carrying the replica of the idol, on an elephant’s back in the carrier meant for the purpose.3 The elephant is beautifully caparisoned and is taken round the temple. The procession comes to an end when the circumbulations are over. This function is accompanied by temple music and it is the chief priest who holds the carrier on the elephant. On the tenth day the idol is taken to the sea for bathing.
Festivals at Kanyakumari Temple
In the temple dedicated to Bhagavathy at Kanyakumari. the annual festivals fall in the Tamil months of Vaicasi and Purattasi. 4 They are celebrated for ten days. The Vaicasi festival ends on the asterism of visakam and the other on the Vijayadasami day. The new moon day of Adi and the full-moon day of Chittirai are very sacred in this temple.5 For performing Sradha thousands of pilgrims flock here on new-moon days.
Festivals at Mandaikad
In the Bhagavathi Temple at Mandaikad, the annual festival lasts for ten days during the month of Kumbham (March). It is celebrated by the Board and the Radhakrishnapuram Haindava Seva Sang. This is one of the biggest festivals in Kanyakumari District, The ‘Kodai’ festival conducted on the tenth day is very famous.6 It usually falls on the last Tuesday of the month. On every Friday, a ceremony called ‘Valia Padukkai’ is conducted. On Tuesday night another ceremony called ‘Odukku Puja’ is conducted. Religious discourses are arranged during the annual festival and they are attended by people from different parts of Kerala.7
Festivals in Subramoniya Temples
For propitiating Subramoniya, several festivals are conducted in temples. The general form in which vows are undertaken to propitiate Subramoniya is the Kai—Eduppu or carrying of Kavadi. Kavadi is generally decorated with ornamental wood work, tepestry and peacock-feathers. Kavadi Eduppu requires a priliminary viradham or preparation by fast and personal purity for 41 days for a man, to carry out the Kavadi-vow.8 During these 41 days, he should abstain from all sorts of luxury and confine himself to a sparing diet of raw-rice and fruits. On the last day, the deity is worshipped by means of puja. After this puja is over, the pilgrim carries the Kavacii on his own shoulders till he reaches the temple. It is interesting to note that even boys of 6 or 7 years of age also take Kavadi to the distant places. It is believed that if the pilgrim had been pure of mind and body, during his Viradham, the milk, sandal or rosewater or other things, carried by him to Subramoniya Temple, as his offering would be quite fresh and pure though many days may have elapsed before they reach the temple.
Festivals in Marungur Temple
In the shrine of Subramoniya at Marungur, the annual festival is conducted in the month of Aipasi for ten days. On the sixth day a grand festival known as Kanthasashti is conducted.9 Devotees of Lord Muruga all over the district observe fast for six days and worship him in this temple. This festival is very popular in all Muruga Temples. Lord Muruga receives the spear from the hands of Parvathi and with its slays the demon ‘Soorapadman’ who had been harassing the celestial Devas. The Kandasashti festival is otherwise known as Soora Samhara Vizha. This festival attracts people from different
villages of Kanyakumari District.10 This festival signifies the truth that the soul receives the supreme wisdom from Shiva’s grace, (Shiva-Sakthi) find with that is able to overcome ignorance, and then reach final union with God. In the month of Markali the Utsavar is taken to Thanumalaya Temple at Suchindrum to take part in the famous annual festival held there.11
Festivals at Velimalai
In the Subramoniaswamy Temple at Velimalai, weekly and annual festivals are celebrated. It is customary even now for the pilgrims to worship Subramoniya at Velimalai in wet cloths soon after their bath and with folded hands above their heads. This unique type of worship cannot be found anywhere else in Tamilnadu.12 On all Fridays thousands of devotees flock to the shrine, especially the last Fridays of all the Tamil months. For the Keralites, Lord Muruga and His wife Valli are considered to be the most sacred family deities. The devotees offer flowers at the feet of the Lord Muruga with high veneration. According to the Tamil poet Nakkirar, Lord Muruga, appreciating this high devotion, presents himself eternally at this place.13 Even today the pushpabhishekam at Velimalai is very famous.
Festivals in Ganapathi Temples
In the Ganapathi Temples, an important festival as ‘Vinayaka Chathurthi’ is conducted every year. This festival falls in the month of Chingam.14 Two types of archanas are performed, besides the ordinary one. They are Sahasranama Archana and ‘Thrisda Archana’ with the uttering of the name three hundred times. ‘Muzhul Otappu’ is done on the festival day. That is, the idol is completely anointed with sandal paste and the eyes, ears and nose are beautifully marked out giving it a charming appearance. Ganapathi Homam is also, performed on the Vinayagar Chathurthi day.15 Devotees offer ‘Vadamala’ to Ganapathi. Plenty of coconuts are also offered to Ganapathi.
Festivals in Avvaiyar Temples
In the Avvaiyar temples, ceremonies are performed as in the other temples of Nanjilnad.16 Special ceremonies are performed on all Tuesdays in the month of Adi. In this month, spinsters observe a fasting called “Adi Avvai Nonbu”17. During this fasting, they conduct special prayers to the deity with the offerings made in rice to invoke the mother goddess to provide them with husbands. This prayer is not open to the male devotees. It is believed that Auvvai worship had developed from ‘Kurati worship’ at Kuratiyara.18 Kurati was the name of a female Jain who lived at Kuratiyara, a village adjacent to Alagiapandipuram.
Festivals in Sastha Temples
There is a fixed, period for conducting festival in the eastha temples. Actually the most important day of the festival falls on the forty first day and all those forty one days are considered as auspicious. Usually this period starts from the first of the month of Vrichigam (November-December) and lasts for forty-one days upto the beginning of the month of Dhanusu (December-January) and this period is known as ‘Mandalakalam’.19 All these days are important and there is a forty-one day festivals in the temple of Ayyappan. Pilgrims who wish to go this temple have to wear a chain specially made for this. They have to observe complete cleanliness, abstain from eating meat and they should crop their hair during the forty-one day period. They all grow beards. Usually the wearing of the chain is undertaken in the temples dedicated to Lord Sastha and on the first day of the Vrichigam month the worshippers intending to go on the pilgrimage come to Sastha temple and after offering the pujas, wear the sacred chain.20 They loudly utter the names of this deity and break coconuts and offer other, articles in the temples. In most of the Sastha temples the most important day is the first day of Makaram month (14th January). It is for this, that numerous worshippers come to the Sastha temples in order to observe the pujas and offer prayers. This day is known as ‘Makaravilakku”.21 This day is very important in the Sastha temples and a good number of worshippers are found on this day. It is an occasion not only to worship at the deity’s altar, but also to meet friends and make new acquaintances.
By the Hindus, a whole array of Gods are popularly worshipped, each of them embodying different virtues and qualities of the supreme being.22 Festivals are held at different times of the year in honour of the Gods represented by images in the temples or in the dwelling of householders. The actual rites on all these occasions are usually performed by priests specially employed and not ordinarily by the pilgrim of the households, who may be present but does not take part in the ritual.23
References
1. Dinamalar, dated 10.09.1989.
2. K.K.Pillai, The Suchindrum Temple, Madras, 1953, p.207.
3. Ibid.
4. S.Padmanabhan, Temples in Kanyakumari District, Nagercoil, 1970, p.7.
5. Ibid.
6. T.K.Velu Pillai, The Travancore State Manual, Vol.IV, Trivandrum, 1940, p.598.
7. Ibid.
8. V.Nagam Aiya, The Travancore state Manual, Vol.II, Trivandrum, 1906, p.52.
9. S.Padmanabhan, Op.Cit.,p.25.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid., p.77.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. S.Padmanabhan, Kumari Mavatta Kovilkal, Nagercolil, 1970, p.92.
17. S.D. Lourdu, Nattar Iyal Aabugal, Tirunelveli, 1981, p.120.
18. Muppanthal Neely Katahi, Unpublished palm leaf.
19. The period of sacred forty one days.
20. P.W.D. File No.316, Year 1914.
21. Ibid.
22. C.H.Philips, India, Delhi, 1948, p.17.
23. A.C.Chatterjee, The New India, Delhi, 1948, p.33.