Vellimalai Kumaraswamy Temple, Kumarakoil – Festivals
Annual Brahmotsavam:
The
annual Brahmotsavam is celebrated in the month of Maasi. Padi Utsavam is
celebrated on Tamil New Year day in the month of April, and the asterism of
Karthikai in the month of Aadi is also celebrated here.
Pushapabishekam:
Pushapabishekam
is celebrated on the last Friday in the month of Aavani when the image of
Kumaran is completely covered with hundreds of baskets of flowers contributed
by the congregating pilgrims.
Vaikasi Visakam:
Vaikasi Visakam
is celebrated for 10 days here in this temple.
Skanda Sashti:
As in
other Murugan temples, Skanda Sashti is celebrated for six days.
Navarathri:
During
Navarathri Pooja, Annai Adi Parasakthi (the divine mother of Lord Muruga) leave
Suchindram temple and perform a yatra in Pallakku to Trivandrum, the
headquarters of the Kerala State, to participate in the Navarathri Pooja
celebrations at the Devi Koil near the Trivandrum Palace. Lord Muruga from
Kumarakoil also accompany Annai in a procession, riding a horse. This practice
has been in vogue since 1840 when the rulers of the erstwhile Travancore
Samasthanam (province) changed their headquarters from Padmanabhapuram in
Thuckalay to Trivandrum.
This
practice exemplifies the strong connection between the erstwhile Malai Nattu (Kerala)
rulers and Kumarakoil. The festival image of Murugan here is Manavaala Kumaran
and this image is taken in procession every year during Navaratri to Thiruvananthapuram,
along with Saraswathi and Bhagavathy from the Padmanabhapuram palace. Manavaala
Kumaran is also taken in procession to take part in the annual festival of the
Suchindram temple.
Thirukalyanam:
Murugan's
and Valli's marriage is celebrated with great splendor in the month of Panguni (March
– April). This Thirukalyanam is an enactment of the divine wedding and is
attended by thousands of pilgrims from all over the state. The seven-day
festivals begin in the star of Anuradha in the month of Panguni. Kuravar
Patukalam, the war waged by Valli’s relatives against Murugan, is colorfully
re-enacted during the divine wedding. The seven-day festival begins in the star
of Anuradha in the month of Panguni.
On the
day of the wedding Manavala Kumaran (processional deity) seated in a palanquin
proceeds towards Tiru Kalyana Mandapam located at about 2 Kms from the temple.
After the celestial wedding the deities are taken in procession back to the
temple. En route we witness the ceremonial Kuravar Patukalam. Kuravars
(tribal folk of the hill) wage a war against Lord Murugan in line with the
legend associated with Murugan and Valli’s marriage. When the wedded couple
reaches the rear entrance of the temple, Kuravas surrender to Lord Murugan and
happily consent to the marriage.
Then
Lord Murugan is propitiated with Abhishekam and Deeparadhana and
a formal wedding is celebrated at night in the decorated temple mandapam
bedecked with flowers. During the marriage, Valli cholai, Vatta cholai, Kizhavan
cholai etc. are given as gifts to Lord Murugan from the bride’s side. This gift
list is read aloud in the assembly. Kum-kum, honey and millet flour are given
as prasadam after the divine wedding.
Worshipping Lord Muruga with Wet Clothes:
Nakkeerar’s Thirumurugattupadai mentions
about the unique worship offered to Kumaraswamy. Devotees cover the lower part
of their body with wet clothes and enter the temple with flowers to have
darshan of Lord Murugan. This unique worship continues till date. The gruel
offered in this temple as prasadam is believed to be a cure for many diseases.
Other prayer commitments are milk abishekam, sandal Kaappu and tonsure
Police offering Kavadi Worship here:
About
two hundred years ago a severe draught affected this area, so the erstwhile
Maharaja of Travancore ordained his security guards to offer Kavadi worship to
Kumaraswamy. Lord Murugan answered their prayers and prosperity restored in the
region. To this day, the police offer Kavadi worship to Kumaraswamy on the last
Friday of the Tamil month of Karthikai.
Last Fridays of every Tamil Month:
Kerala
Tantram is a protocol of worship offered in this temple along the lines of most
other temples in Kanyakumari district. Fridays, especially the last Fridays of
every Tamil month are very sacred here. The Kanji which is distributed here on
Fridays as prasadam is believed to have miraculous healing properties.