Parimala Ranganatha Perumal Temple, Thiruindaloor – Festivals
& Worship Practices
The
temple follows Pancharathra Agama and Thenkalai tradition.
The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
Like other Vishnu temples of Tamilnadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavite community, a
Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day; Thiruvanandhal at
8:00 a.m., Kala Santhi at 9:00 a.m., Uchikalam at
12:30 p.m., Ntiyanusandhanam at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at
7:30 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m.
Each
ritual comprises three steps: Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam
(food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both
Parimala Ranganathar and Thayar. The foods offering during the six times are
curd rice, Ven Pongal, spiced rice, Dosa, Ven Pongal & sugar Pongal respectively.
The worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in
the Vedas (sacred text) read by priests and prostration by
worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, fortnightly and
monthly rituals.
The
major festival celebrated in the temple is the Chitrai festival, celebrated
during the Tamil month of Chittirai. The other festivals in the
temple include the 10-day Aandal Aadi festival celebrated during July–August,
Thayar Navarathri Utsavam during the Tamil month of Purattasi (September -
October), 10-day Aipasi Thula Mahotsavam during Aipasi (October -
November), 10-day Vaikunta
Ekadasi during Margazhi (December
- January), Makara Sankaranthi during January and Panguni Brahmotsavam during the
month of Panguni (March - April).
It is
believed that a bath in the Cauvery here during Aipasi is sacred. During this
month, the temple attracts devotees from across the country. The daily Puja
time is 6.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.