Soundararajaperumal Temple, Nagapattinam – Festivals
& Religious Practices
The
temple follows the traditions of the Thenkalai sect of Vaishnavite tradition and follows Vaikhanasa
Aagama. 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 six times a day: Ushathkalam at
7 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at
12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at
7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 10:00 p.m.
Each
ritual has three steps: Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Soundararajan
and Soundaravalli. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (a pipe instrument) and tavil (a percussion instrument) are played, 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.
During
the Tamil month of Chittirai, the festival deity is
taken in procession around the Mada Street of the temple. Similar processions
are followed during the Maga star
of Chittirai and Magam; the five-day festival of Nammazhwar during the Tamil
month of Aani. The ten day yearly festival of Soundaravalli Thayar is
celebrated during the same month, when a flag is hoisted and the festive image
of Thayar is taken in different chariots around the streets of the temple.
During the star of Uthiram, Perumal arrives at the shrine of Thayar and the
celestial wedding is celebrated.
During
the Tamil month of Aadi, to commemorate the summer solstice, a ten day
festival is celebrated in the temple, when the festival image of Perumal is
taken around the streets of the temple. The other festivals associated with
Vishnu temples like Krishna Jayanthi, Saturdays of Tamil month Puratasi, Navarathri, Vaikunta
Ekadasi & Vijayadasami are celebrated during the respective days.
A
ten-day festival is celebrated, during the Tamil month of Purattasi,
commemorating Manavala Maamunigal. Uthirayana Punyakalam during the Tamil month
of Thai followed by Mattaiadi, Masi Kadalauttu during Maasi, and
Panguni Peruvizha during Panguni and Thiruvasagai Vizha are other
prominent festivals in the temple. Music instruments like Suthamathalam,
Ekkalam, Thiruchinnam and Thalam are used during such festivals. During
Thiruvasi festival, the temple chariot is drawn around the streets of the
temple.