Monday, March 19, 2018

Kalamega Perumal Temple, Thirumohoor – Festivals & Religious Practices

Kalamega Perumal Temple, Thirumohoor – Festivals & Religious Practices
The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis based on Pancharathra Agama. 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 Kalamega Perumal and Mohanavalli. 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. 10-day Vaikasi Brahmmotsavam (May-June), Vaikunta Ekadasi (December-January), Gajendra Moksham in the Masi Poornima day in February – March, 2-day Panguni Thirukalyanam (March-April), Krishna Jayanthi are the main festival observed in the temple. Also, all new moon days, both Tamil and English New Year days, Deepavali and Pongal are the festival days in the temple.