Agastheeswarar Temple, Agathiyampalli – Worship
Practices & Festivals
Worship Practices:
The
temple priests perform the puja (rituals)
during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamilnadu,
the priests belong to the Shaiva 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 5:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at
7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m.
Each ritual comprises four steps: Abhishekam (sacred
bath), Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa
aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Agastheeshwarar and Mangai Nayagi. The
worship is held amidst music with Nadaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion
instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred texts) read
by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast.
Festivals:
Vaikasi Visakam (May-Jun), Avani Vinayagar Chathurthi (Aug-Sep), Skanda Aippasi Skanda Sashti (Oct-Nov), Thiru Karthigai (Nov-Dec), Thaipoosam (Jan-Feb) and Masi Maha Shivaratri (Feb-Mar) are the festivals celebrated in this temple. Somavaram (Mondays), Sukravaram (Fridays), Amavasai (new moon days), Kiruthigai, Pournami (full moon days), Chathurthi and Pradoshams are also observed here.