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.