Meenakshi Amman
Temple – Procedure for Worship
Worshipping Arulmighu Meenakshi Amman at first had been
the manner of prayer traditionally.
Devotees should enter the temple through East Gopuram,
pass along Ashtasakthi Mandapam, Meenakshi Nayakar Mandapam and Mudali
Mandapam, take a bath in the Golden Lotus pond and wear clean
clothes. Foremost, they must worship the Viboothi Vinayakar on the south
of the sacred pond. From the southern bank, devotees could worship the golden
pinnacles of Swamy and Amman temples. They can see the 64 miracles of Lord
Shiva on the walls surrounding the pond.
After worshipping Sitthi Vinayakar, Kumaran and other
deities in the parrot cage mandapam, must go round the altar at the Amman
Sannidhi, and then enter the sanctum through the main entrance. Men and women
should stand in separate rows and worship the deity. Devotees should
meditate the five holy alphabets, recite the sacred names of the Lord, sing
divine songs and go round the shrine.
While going round the first corridor, Airavata Vinayakar
on the south east, Valla Vinayakar on the south west, Nirutha Ganapathy
and Muthu Kumara Swamy and Chandikeswarar on the northwest must be
worshipped.
While going round the second corridor, the devotees
could see a statue of Thirumalai Naicker in the east, kolu mandapam and
Koodalkumarar Sannidhi in the west. After worshipping Kumarar, the devotees
should proceed to the second corridor of Swamy shrine. It is the
normal practice to seek the permission of Nandi Perumal to grant permission to
enter the temple.
After that the Anugnai Vinayakar and the Nandi is
located at the main entrance to the Swamy temple. After that the devotees
should proceed along the six pillared pedestal and worship Chandrashekarar and
other deities and the Natarajar who danced changing his legs at the
Velliyambalam and then worship the Lord at the sanctum.
While going round the first corridor of the Swamy
temple, Vandhiyammai, Sivalingam, Sun, Kalaimagal, the Saints, Somaskander,
various Lingams, Pitchadanar, Kasiviswanathar, Ellam Valla Siddhar, Durgai
Amman, Kadamba tree, Kanakasabhai Natarajar, Chandikeswarar, Atcharalingam,
Mahalakshmi, Rathnasabai Natarajar, Vanniyum well, Lingam and Bhairavar should
be worshipped in that order before coming out.
On the north of the main entrance is the shrine of
Arulmighu Palani Andavar. Having worshipped the deities including
Sadayappar between the Nandhi Mandapam and coming round the hundred pillar
hall, Agni Veeraputhirar, Ahora Veerapathirar, Ooothuva Thandava Moorthy and
Badrakali, devotees should proceed to the Tirugnanasambandar mandapam and offer
worship to the four deities, Mangayarkarasiyar, Kulachirayar and Nedumaranayar
and then after paying obeisance to the flag pole, they should sit down for a
while. Later the idols of Hanumar, Krishnar and other deities on the
pillars at the back and then enter the middle way and leave through Amman
Sannidhi.
Devotees proceeding the temple should bathe and wear
Saiva symbols such as holy ash, Uthiraksham, and carry with them coconut,
fruits, incense and other items of offering to the extent possible. It is the
practice to meditate the Holy Scriptures, and recite the sacred names of the
deities while in the sacred premises.
On the first day of every Tamil month, special prayers
with Abhishekam are offered at the shrine of Sangam poets on the second
corridor of the Swami Sannidhi. Special prayers are also conducted on the birth
star days of the temple Adiyars and 63 Saints.