Karpaka Vinayakar Temple (Pillaiyar Patti Pillaiyar
Temple), Thiruppatthur – Greatness of Temple
Among
the few places celebrating car festivals for Lord Vinayaka, Pillayarpatti is
one. Two cars-rathas are used for Lord Vinayaka and Lord
Chandikeswara. The Rath for Chandikeswara is pulled by women and children
only. In the car streets, devotees do Anga pradakshinam-whole body
circumbulating – on the 9th day of the festivals. While the car pulling
begins, a sandal paste covering is offered to the presiding deity with 80 kg Sandal
paste. As this event takes place only once in a year, the devotee crowd is
huge.
Maha
Abishekam also is performed that day. During the Uchikala puja – midday puja,
on the annual Vinayaka Chathurthi day in August-September (Aavani Tamil month),
a single Kozhukkattai of a giant size prepared with a quantity of 18 measure of
rice, 2 measures of Dhil-Ellu in Tamil, 6 measures of Dhal, 50 coconuts, one
measure of cow ghee, 100 gms cardamom, 40 kg. Jaggery is offered to Lord as
nivedhana.
The
whole mixture is packed in a cloth and placed in the rice basket (Anna Koodai
in Tamil) in the temple kitchen. This will then be put down in a very big
bowl and tied in the kitchen. The bundle will not touch the big bowl
called Anda. This will be boiled for two days continuously. This will be
tied in a long wood and carried to the shrine for nivedhana. Next day
after the preparation is cooled; it would be made into pieces and offered to
devotees and people of the place as Prasad.