Thirumanikkoodam (Varadaraja Perumal Temple),
Thirunangur – Religious Practices & Festivals
The
temple is open from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The temple priests
perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
As at other Vishnu temples of Tamilnadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a
Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed four times a
day: Ushathkalam at 8 a.m. Kalasanthi at
10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 5:00 p.m. and Ardha
Jamam at 7:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Pallikonda Perumal
and Shenbagavalli.
During
the worship, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are recited by priests, and
worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals
performed in the temple. The annual Theerthavari festival is celebrated during
the New moon day of Tamil
month of Aadi when
the festival deity of the temple is taken in a procession to the sea at Poompuhar. During the new moon day of the Tamil month Thai,
the festival
deity of Thirumangai
Azhwar is brought to the temple from Thiruvali-Thirunagari.
The Thirumangai
Azhwar Mangalasasana Utsavam is celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai (January–February).
The highlight of the festival is Garuda Sevai, an event in which the
festival images of the eleven Thirunangur Tirupathis are brought on mount designed like Garuda, called Garuda Vahana, to Thirunangur. The festive
image of Thirumangai Azhwar is also brought on a Hamsa Vahanam (palanquin)
and his paasurams (verses) dedicated to each of these eleven temples
are recited during the occasion.
The
festival images of Thirumangai Alvar and his consort Kumudhavalli Naachiyar are
taken in a palanquin to each of the eleven temples. The verses dedicated to
each of the eleven temples are chanted in the respective shrines. This is one
of the most important festivals in the region which draws thousands of
visitors. Vaikasi Brahmotsavam is another festival celebrated during May or
June with much fanfare.
