Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Avinashi Lingeswarar Temple, Avinashi – Festivals

Avinashi Lingeswarar Temple, Avinashi – Festivals
The temple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. The temple rituals are performed six times a day. There are weekly rituals like Somavaram (Monday) and sukravaram (Friday), fortnightly rituals like Pradosham, and monthly festivals like Amavasai (new moon day), Kiruthigai, Pournami (full moon day) and sathurthi. Sundarar's miracle is celebrated every year as Mudalai Vaai Pillai Utsavam during Panguni Uththiram during the Tamil month of Panguni. The Car festival attracts large crowd and the festival car here is said to be on par with Tiruvarur. Other festivals include Vinayaka Chathurthi, Aadi Pooram, Navarathri, Aippasi Pournami, Skanda Sashti, Karthikai Deepam, Arudra Dharisanam, Thai Poosam, Maasi Magam, Panguni Uththiram and Vaikasi Visakam.
Chithirai Brahmotsavam is celebrated grandly in April-May with flag hoisting on Mrigaseerisham star day and car festival on Pooram star day and the fifth day receiving all importance. Lord Shiva grants his darshan to 63 Nayanmars from his Vrishaba – bull – vahanam.
Car Festival:
This is the most important festival in the temple’s itinerary. The car festival celebrated during the ‘Brahmotsavam’ of Chithirai Maasam. The relevant English months are April-May. The temple car here is the second biggest in the whole of south India. In the past the temple car was pulled by devotees. The temple cars were damaged by fire. They were later newly built. Nowadays bulldozers are employed to move the car.
Arubathi Moovar Ula:
Apart from the car festival, another important occasion, which is celebrated with a lot of pomp, is the ‘Arubathimoovar ula’. It is about the 63 ardent devotees of Lord Shiva as depicted in Periyapuranam.