Thayumanaswami Temple, Rockfort – Worship Practices &
Festivals
The
temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Shaivite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals
are performed six times a day; Ushathkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalasanthi at
8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m.,
Irandamkalam at 8:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 10:00 p.m. Each ritual
comprises four steps: abhisheka (sacred
bath), alangaram(decoration), neivethanam (food offering)
and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Thayumanaswami and
Mattuvar Kuzhal Amman.
The
worship is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in
the Vedas read by priests and prostration by worshippers in
front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals
like somavaram and sukravaram, fortnightly rituals like Pradosham and monthly festivals like Ammavasai (new moon day), kiruthigai, Pournami (full moon day) and Sathurthi.
The
temple celebrates dozens of festivals throughout the year. The Chittirai
festival during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April - May) is celebrated for
fifteen days, portraying the various incidents associated with the temple
legend. The car festival is held on the ninth day, when the processional
deities of Thayumanaswami and Mattuvar Kuzhalammai are taken out in separate
chariots around the temple in NSB Road, Nandikovil Street, North and East Andar
streets and the Malaivasal.
The
event of Lord Shiva servicing Rathnavathi during her labour moments is
celebrated on the 5th day of Chithirai Brahmmotsavam in April-May. Curtain
is downed during this event. They decorate Rathnavathi with child on her
lap. The curtain is then lifted for darshan offering light puja- Deepa
Aaradhana. After the puja, the oil and the maternity medicine given to
mothers after delivery are given to the devotees as Prasad. It is believed
that pregnant women consuming this will be blessed with safe delivery.
The
Karthigai festival is celebrated during the Tamil
month of Karthikai, between November and December, concluding with the
celebration of Karthikai Deepam. A huge lamp is lit in a cauldron, containing three tons of ghee, at the top of the Malai Kottai hills during the
Deepam. To mark the occasion, the festival deity of Thayumanaswami circumambulates the mountain.
Every
full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Thayumanaswami by
circumambulating the Tiruchirappalli hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers
the circumference around the hill, and is referred as Girivalam. On the
day of yearly Chitra Pournami, the full moon of the Tamil calendar,
hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from across the world to worship
Thayumanaswami.
Thayumanavar
Guru Puja is celebrated in the month of Thai (January-February) on the day that
the star Visakam reigns. Lord Shiva is brought in a procession on the
first day of every Tamil month and on new moon days. Lord Shiva as a
Swayambulinga graces devotees facing west. The rays of the sun fall on the Lord
for three days in the evenings in the month of Panguni (March-April). The float
festival also takes place during this period. Pujas are conducted under two
codes – Shivagama and Kameekam.
Chithirai
Brahmmotsavam in April-May; Panguni float festival in March-April; Aadi Pooram
in July-August; Aipasi Annabishekam in October-November; Tirukarthikai in
November-December; Panchamurthy procession on Makar Sankranti (Thai Pongal)
falling almost on January 14 and Maha Shivarathri in February-March are the
festivals celebrated in the temple.