Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple, (Sundararaja
Perumal Temple), Anbil – Festivals & Religious Practices
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 Vaishnavite 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 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: Alankaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and Deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Sundararajan
and Sundaravalli. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (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. The
Theerthavari festival celebrated in the Tamil
month of Maasi (February–March)
and 10 days Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrated during the Tamil month of Margazhi
(December–January) are the major festivals celebrated in the temple. In the
Tamil month of Maasi, Vadivazhagiya Nambi of Anbil goes to Srirangam and to the
banks of Coloroon. Also Garuda Sevai in Maasi Visakam, Pongal in January
and Diwali in October – November are the other festivals celebrated here.