Vallakottai Subramaniaswamy Temple – Festivals &
Religious Practises
The
temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
The temple rituals are performed five times a day: Go Pooja at
6:30 a.m., Kalasandhi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikala Poojai at
8:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., and Arthajama
Pooja at 8:15 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) & deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for the presiding
deities. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in
the temple. The temple is open from 6:30 am – 12:00 pm and 5 – 8:30 pm on all
days except during festive occasions when it has extended timings.
The
temple possesses gold, jewels, diamonds, and rubies, silver vessel and other
costly articles worth many lakhs of rupees. Every Thursday, Lord Subramaniaswamy
is decorated with Diamond Vel. The day of Krittika is very important and thousands
of people worship the Lord every month on this day. The main festivals are the
Brahma Utsavam, Skanda Shashti, Adi Kiruthikai and the festival of Subrahmanya’s
marriage with Valli.
A
popular event performed a few years ago is the Sri Subrahmanya Sahasranama
(1008 names of Subrahmanya) Archana. A Sahasra namamala, a garland of gold
coins on each of which one of the 1,008 names of the Lord was inscribed, was
made and offered to the deity. Devotees from far and near in large numbers
participated in this holy and pious act.
Here
also pilgrims carry Kavadis to the shrine and abhishekams are performed to the
idol on behalf of the devotees. Bathing of the deity in holy ashes, known as
Vibhuti Abhishekam is a feature here as in Palani temple and in that Abhishekam
the idol has a very captivating and awe-inspiring aspect.
The
important festivals conducted in the temple are:
1. Monthly Kiruthikai festival
2. Temple Car festival in April
3. Visakam festival in May
4. Navarathri festival in May
5. Skanda Shashti festival in October
6. Tiru Karthikai festival in Nov/December
7. Thaipusam festival in January
8. Panguni Uttiram festival in March