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Sunday, February 4, 2018

Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai – Festivals

Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai – Festivals
The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, 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 10:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Pundarikakshan and Pankajavalli.
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. Devi (Mother Goddess) has all the first right in all the festivals of this Hindu temple. All the properties of the temple are in the name of the Devi (Mother Goddess). 
Chithirai summer festival and Chithirai Poornima-full moon day in April-May; Gajendra Moksham (Lord Vishnu granting salvation to an elephant); Aavani Srijayanthi in August-September with procession, Panguni Brahmmotsavam on Tiruvonam star day in March-April are the festivals celebrated in the temple. The Brahmotsavam is the main festival of Pundarikaksha Perumal Temple and is held on the third day of Panguni (March-April) when the Lord and Goddess are taken in a procession to the nearby Coloroon River (tributary of the Cauvery).
Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the chariot festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chaitra (March–April), is the most prominent. The festival is unique in the state as a community feast is offered, a custom stretching back many centuries. The Chariot festival is the most prominent festival of the temple, and for the surrounding villages. It is celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April) when devotees pull the chariot round the streets of Thiruvellarai. Verses from Nalayira Divya Prabhandham are recited by a group of temple priests amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument).
The chariot festival is unique in the state as a community feast is offered by several individuals and committees, a custom many centuries old. The processional idols of Pundarikakshan and Pankajavalli are brought to the temple car early in the morning amidst religious chanting. Ratharohanam, the rituals associated with taking the idols to the temple car, is performed at an auspicious time before commencing the procession.