Vedaranyeswarar Temple, Vedaranyam – Worship and
Religious Practises
The
temple priests perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like
other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, 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: Abhisheka (sacred
bath), Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering)
& deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Vedaranyeswarar and Amman.
The
worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (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. There are weekly rituals like Somavaram
(Monday) and sukravaram (Friday), fortnightly rituals like Pradosham &
monthly festivals like Amavasai (new moon day), Kiruthigai, Pournami (full
moon day) and sathurthi.
The twin
festivals celebrated during the full moon days of Tamil month Adi (July –
August) and Thai (January – February) attract large number of pilgrims from
whole of Tamil Nadu. Pilgrims take a holy dip in the seashore round the year
and the holy dip is considered similar to the worship practises at Rameswaram.
