Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Tirukannamangai – 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 four times a day: Kalasanthi at
8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at
12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., and Ardha
Jamam at 8:30 p.m.
Each
ritual has three steps: Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Bhaktavatsala
Perumal and Kannamangai Thayar. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion
instrument) are played, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text)
and Nalayira Divya Prabandam 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, Brahmotsavam, a 10-day
festival is celebrated and the festival deity is taken in procession around the
streets of the temple in different mounts each day. The other festivals
associated with Vishnu temples like Krishna Jayanthi, Saturdays of Tamil month Purattasi,
Navarathri, Vaikunta
Ekadasi and Vijayadasami are celebrated during the respective days.