Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Thiruthani Murugan Temple – Festivals

Thiruthani Murugan Temple – Festivals
·        New Year January 1st
·        Thai Pusam January
·        Masi Brahmotsavam February
·        Dhavan Utchavam February, March
·        Maha Sivarathri March
·        Chithirai Brahmotsavam April
·        1008 Milk Abishegam April
·        Vasantha Utchavam June
·        Adi Kirttikai July-Aug
·        Adi Puram August
·        Nava Ratri (9 nights) Sept-Oct
·        Kanda Shasti, Oct-Nov
·        Karthikai Nov-Dec
·        Thirupugazh Thirupadi Vizha Dec 31st
·   Kruthika, Tamil and English New Year days, Pongal and Tuesdays are festive days in the temple.
·        Valli Kalyanam
·     Every month, on the day of the star Krittika, the star of Muruga, a large number of devotees come to this shrine.
Besides the monthly Kirttikais which attract a large number of devotees to this shrine, the two outstanding annual festivals are the Aadi Kirttikai and 31 December New Year Step Festival. The float festival is celebrated in the month of Aadi, Brahmotsavam in the month of Maasi, during which Valli Kalyanam is celebrated on the 8th day, and the Skanda Sashti is celebrated in the Tamil month of Aippasi.
Aadi Kirttikai & December 31st Steps Festivals are the festivals celebrated in much fanfare. These festivals are briefed below;
Maasi Brahmotsavam:
10 day Masi big festival-wedding with Valli in February-March is celebrated in the temple in a grand manner when crowd of devotees would be in lakhs.
Deivanai festival also is equally big and important drawing lakhs. The Kavadi numbers is estimated at 10 lakhs. It will be a sea of devotees. Tiruthani will be inundated by devotees on Ashwini, Bharani and Kruthika star days flowing from Andra, Karnataka and Arcot.
Aadi Kirttikai:
Aadi Kirttikai festival (in July–August) lasts for three days with Float Festival when hundreds of thousands of devotees come to this holy place from far and near. The streets are thronged to the full. About one fifty thousand flower Kavadis (which increase with each year) are offered to the deity. The sight of the devotees who carry them, uttering the sacred and inspiring "Haro Hara!" as they march and dance in long rows touches the very core of devotees' hearts and makes them spellbound.
December 31st Step Festival:
When the English New Year strikes on 31 December midnight, hundreds of thousands of devotees are present on the sacred Tanikai hill to have the darshan of their Lord. They come to Tiruthani to offer their heart-felt prayers to our Lord on that day and night to be blessed with peace and plenty during the New Year.
This festival came into vogue during the British Raj when the famous Vallimalai Swamigal persuaded his followers to offer their homage first to Lord Tanikesan, the giver of all good and only then to their official bosses.
On this day, numerous Bhajana parties gather and ascend the hill, singing the melodious Thirupugazh songs and burning camphor on each of the hill's 365 steps, one for each day of the New Year.
The entire atmosphere is filled with the music of these devotional songs, which is a feast to the eyes and ears. The sight of the Vel Kavadi taken to the shrine by some devotees on this day with the thin, sharp ends pricked and pierced all over the body above the hip (in spite of which they carry it with ease and grace) inspires and elevates our thoughts to adore our Lord for his mighty, marvellous and miraculous powers.