Annamalaiyar Temple – Worship & Festivals
The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Shaivaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals
are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalasanthi at
8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m.,
Irandamkalam at 8:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 10:00 p.m. Each ritual
comprises four steps: Abhisheka (sacred bath), Alangaram (decoration),
neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps)
for both Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai Amman.
The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion
instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas read by priests and prostration by worshippers in
front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals
like Somavaram and sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like Pradosham and monthly
festivals like Amavasai (new moon day), Kiruthigai, Pournami (full
moon day) and sathurthi.
The temple celebrates dozens of festivals throughout the
year. Four prime festivals, the Brahmotsavam, are celebrated yearly.
The most important of these lasts ten days during the Tamil
month of Karthikai, between November and December, concluding with the
celebration of Karthikai Deepam. A huge lamp is lit in a cauldron, containing three tons of ghee, at the top of the Annamalai hills during the Deepam.
To mark the occasion, the festival deity of Annamalaiyar circumambulates the mountain. Inscriptions indicate that the
festival was celebrated as early as the Chola period (from 850 CE to 1280 CE)
and was expanded to ten days in the twentieth century.
Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship
Annamalaiyar by circumambulating the Arunachala hill barefoot. The
circumambulation covers a distance of 14 kilometres (8.7 mi), and is
referred as Girivalam. According to Hindu legend, the walk removes
sins, fulfils desires and helps achieve freedom from the cycle of birth and
rebirth. Offerings are made in a string of tanks, shrines, pillared meditation halls, springs and caves
around the hill. The circumambulation continues during the rest of the month.
On the day of yearly Chitra Pournami, the full moon of the Tamil calendar,
hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from across the world to worship
Annamalaiyar. Five temple cars, called ther, with wooden carvings, are
used for the procession.
Thiruvoodal is another festival celebrated during the
first week of the Tamil month Thai at mid-January of every year. On
the morning of Maattu Pongal, between January 15 and 16, Nandi is decorated with garlands made of fruits,
vegetables and sweets. The festival deities of Annamalaiyar and Unnamamulai
Amman are taken out of the temple to Thiruvoodal street to enact
the oodal (or love tiff) between the two in the evening.
10 day Karthikai Brahmotsavam and Karthikai Deepam in
November-December, Masi Maha Shivarathri in February-March, Thai Maattu Pongal,
Thiruvoodal and Oonjal utsavam falling almost on January 15 and monthly Brahmotsavam
are devotionally celebrated in the temple.
Fire walking is observed on Aadi Pooram day in
July-August a ceremony not followed in any Shiva temple. Six time Puja (Aaru
Kala Puja) is strictly followed in this temple as per Agama rules. On Masi
Magam day in February-March, Lord Annamalaiyar visits a place called Palli
Pattu for Theerthavari; an event that represents Lord’s performing the last
rites for Vallala Maharaja to whom he was born a son earlier.
Lord visits the temples in the surroundings on the 5th
day of Thai month covering January-February and grants darshan to devotees at
Kalasapakkam on the Rathasapthami day. It is on this day the Car (rath) of Sun
turns northward marking the beginning of Utharayana period covering six months
from January-February to June-July.
The 6 day wedding festival takes place on Panguni
Uthiram in March-April. Almost every day in the month is a festival day in the
temple. Pradosha – 13th day of new moon or full moon is devotionally observed
in the temple. Special pujas are performed on Deepavali, Pongal and Tamil and
English New Year days.
Details
of Annual Festivals (Urchavam) of the Temple
|
S.No
|
Tamil Month
|
Festival Details
|
|
1
|
Chithirai (April - May)
|
Chittirai Vasantha Urchavam
10 days.
|
|
2
|
Vaikasi (May - June)
|
Vaikasi Urchavam 1 day.
|
|
3
|
Ani (June - July)
|
Ani Brahmorchavam 10
days.
|
|
Ani Thirumanjanam (Lord
Nataraja Urchavam 1 day).
|
||
|
4
|
Adi (July - August)
|
Adi Pooram Brahmorchavam
10 days.
|
|
5
|
Avani (August - Sept.)
|
Avani Moolam Urchavam 1
day.
|
|
6
|
Puratasi (Sept. - Oct.)
|
Navarathri Urchavam 9
days.
|
|
7
|
Aippasi (Oct. - Nov.)
|
Annabisheka Urchavam 1
day.
|
|
Kanda Sashti Urchavam 6
days.
|
||
|
8
|
Karthigai (Nov. - Dec.)
|
Karthigai Deepa Brahmorchavam
17 days.
|
|
9
|
Margazhi (Dec. - Jan.)
|
Vaikunda Ekadasi
Urchavam 1 day.
|
|
Arudra Dharisanam (Lord
Nataraja Urchavam) 1 day.
|
||
|
10
|
Thai (Jan. - Feb.)
|
Utharayana Punyakala Brahmorchavam
10 days.
|
|
Thiruvoodal Urchavam 1
day.
|
||
|
Manalurpettai
Theerthavari Urchavam 1 day.
|
||
|
Kalasapakkam
(Rathasapthami).
|
||
|
Theerthavari Urchavam 1
day.
|
||
|
11
|
Masi (Feb. - March)
|
Maha Sivarathri Urchavam
|
|
Masi Makam
Pallikondpattu Theerthavari Urchavam.
|
||
|
12
|
Panguni (March - April)
|
Panguni Uthiram
Thirukalyana Urchavam 6 days.
|
Special
Day's:
Details
of Annual Festivals (Urchavam) of the Temple
|
Urchavam's
|
Period
|
Festivals
|
|
Sri Durgambal Urchavam
|
Night
|
Sri Durgambal on
Kamadenu vahanam
|
|
Sri Pidari
Urchavam
|
Night
|
Sri Pidariamman on Lion
vahanam
|
|
Sri Vinayagar Urchavam
|
Night
|
Sri Vinayagar on Mooshigam
vahanam
|
|
First day festival
|
Morning
|
Panchamoorthies Silver
Vimanam
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies,
Mooshigam, Peacock, Adhikara Nandi, Hamsam small Rishaba Vaganam.
|
|
|
Second day festival
|
Morning
|
Sri Vinayagar, Sri Chandrasekhara
vimanam Sun Crescent mount.
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies, Silver
Indra vimanam etc.
|
|
|
Third day festival
|
Morning
|
Sri Vinayagar, Sri Chandrashekarar
vimanam, Naga Vaganam
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies, Simha Vaganam,
Silver Anna Vaganam etc.
|
|
|
Fourth day festival
|
Morning
|
Sri Vinayagar, Sri Chandrashekarar
vimanam, Naga vimanam
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies, Silver
Karpagavritcham, Silver Kamadhenu Vaganam and other silver vaganams.
|
|
|
Fifth day festival
|
Morning
|
Sri Vinayagar, Sri Chandrashekarar,
Mooshigam Mirror Rishaba Vaganam
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies, Silver Mooshigam,
Silver Peacock, Big Silver Rishaba Vaganam display
|
|
|
Sixth day festival
|
Morning
|
Sri Vinayagar, Sri Chandrashekarar,
Mooshigam, Silver Elephant, 63 Nayanmars vimanams.
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies Silver
car, Indra vimanam and other Silver vimanams.
|
|
|
Seventh day festival
|
Morning
|
Panchamoorthies Maharahams
between 5.30 a.m. and 7.00 a.m. in Viruchaga Lagnam Ratha Roganam Vadam.
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies reach
Asthana Mandapam from the car.
|
|
|
Eighth day festival
|
Morning
|
Sri Vinayagar, Sri Chandrashekarar,
Silver vimanam
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies, Horse Vaganam
etc.
|
|
|
Ninth day festival
|
Morning
|
Sri Vinayagar, Sri Chandrashekarar,
Mirror Vimanam.
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies, Kailasa
Vaganam, Kamadhenu Vaganam etc.
|
|
|
Tenth day festival
|
Morning
|
Udayathpurvam 4’O Clock Bharani
Deepam
|
|
Day
|
Brammatheertham
Theerthavari
|
|
|
Evening
|
At 6 p.m. Panchamoorthies
on golden vimanams, Jyothi Swaroopa Maha Deepam.
|
|
|
Night
|
Panchamoorthies, Golden
Rishaba Vaganam etc.
|
|
|
First day Theppal
|
Night
|
At 8 p.m. Sri Chandrasekhara
Theppal - Sri Abithakusambal with Sri Arunachaleswarar Giripradhakshanam
|
|
Second day Theppal
|
Night
|
At 8 p.m. Sri Parasakthi
Amman Theppal
|
|
Third day Theppal
|
Night
|
At 8 p.m. Sri
Subramaniar Theppal
|
|
Sri Chandikeswarar
Utsavam
|
Night
|
Sri Chandikeswarar
Utsavam, Silver Vaganam.
|
