Ekambareswarar Temple,
Kanchipuram – Religious Practices & Festivals
Religious Practices:
The
temple priest perform the pooja (rituals)
during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu,
the priests belong to the Shaivite 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: abhishekam (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), Naivedyam
(food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for the pedestal
of Ekambareswarar. Since it is a Lingam made of sand mound, all the ablution is
done only to the pedestal. The worship is held amidst music
with Nadaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion
instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas read
by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast.
Festivals:
The
temple celebrates dozens of festivals throughout the
year. Thai Poosam (January-February), Shivarathri Festival (February-March), Panguni
Uthiram (March-April), Vaikasi Visakam (May-June), Ani Thirumanjanam
(June-July), Adi Krithikai (July-August), Aadippooram Festival (July-August), Avani
Moolam (August - September), Vinayaka Chathurthi festival (August-September), Navaratri
Festival (September-October), Diwali Festival (October-November) and Tirukarthikai
(November-December) are the festivals celebrated here with much fanfare.
Panguni Uthiram Festival is one
of the biggest and grandest festivals celebrated in this
temple. The Panguni festival lasts for 13 days and it is during this
festival that the wedding of the presiding deity is celebrated, and the
venerated Tamil poems of the Nayanmars (Thirumurais) are sung in great
splendor. The festival is the most popular of all the temple festivals in
Kanchipuram. There are various processions during the ten days with the
festive images of presiding deities of the temple carried in various mounts
around the streets of the temple.
During the fifth day,
Ekambareswarar is carried silver mount Nandi during
the morning and Ravaneswara Vahanam during the evening. The 63 Nayanmars are
taken in procession the sixth day morning, while Ekambareswarar is carried on
Silver car festival in the evening. Silver Mavadi Seva is performed on the
ninth day. On the concluding day, Kalyanotsavam (marriage festival) is held
when the marriage of Ekambareswarar is enacted. During the day, many unmarried
people get married irrespective of their caste along with the deity. The event
is witnessed by thousands of people every year.
There are weekly rituals
like Somavaram and Sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like Pradosham and
monthly festivals like Amaavaasai (new moon
day), Kiruthigai or on Krittika Nakshatram, Pournami (full moon day)
and Chaturthi. The devotee crowd is also huge on Tamil and English New
Year days.