Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai – Festivals
The
temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As
at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals
are performed six times a day: Ushathkalam at 7
a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at
12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at
6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha
Jamam at 10:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both
Pundarikakshan and Pankajavalli.
During
the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion
instrument) are played, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are
recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals
performed in the temple. Devi (Mother Goddess) has all the first right in all
the festivals of this Hindu temple. All the properties of the temple are in the
name of the Devi (Mother Goddess).
Chithirai
summer festival and Chithirai Poornima-full moon day in April-May; Gajendra Moksham
(Lord Vishnu granting salvation to an elephant); Aavani Srijayanthi in
August-September with procession, Panguni Brahmmotsavam on Tiruvonam star day
in March-April are the festivals celebrated in the temple. The Brahmotsavam is
the main festival of Pundarikaksha Perumal Temple and is held on the third day
of Panguni (March-April) when the Lord and Goddess are taken in a procession to
the nearby Coloroon River (tributary of the Cauvery).
Six
daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the
chariot festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chaitra (March–April), is the
most prominent. The festival is unique in the state as a community feast is
offered, a custom stretching back many centuries. The Chariot festival is the
most prominent festival of the temple, and for the surrounding villages. It is
celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April) when
devotees pull the chariot round the streets of Thiruvellarai. Verses
from Nalayira Divya Prabhandham are recited by a group of temple
priests amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument)
and tavil (percussion instrument).
The
chariot festival is unique in the state as a community feast is offered by
several individuals and committees, a custom many centuries old. The
processional idols of Pundarikakshan and Pankajavalli are brought to the temple
car early in the morning amidst religious chanting. Ratharohanam, the
rituals associated with taking the idols to the temple car, is performed at an
auspicious time before commencing the procession.
