Gangai Amman Temple, Gudiyatham – Festivals
The
Temple celebrates famous 4 days carnival (Gangai Amman Thiruvizha) every year
during May 14 – 17 (Tamil month - Vaikasi 1st) which attracts 10 lakhs of
people from all around India. For this famous occasion, government announces
local holiday for the whole district. Traditionally, the head of Sri Gangai
Amman is made by a washer man’s family ancestrally, is carried on their head
and brought to the temple by walk for about 3 Kms. Inside the temple, the
Amman’s head is fixed on the body which is kept for Dharshan during the day. This
event is popularly called as Sirasu (Sirasu, means head) festival.
About a
million people throng the town from various parts of the country to visit this
event. Amman will be a feast to watch to see her being carried on the head,
which will look like as if she is floating on the huge crowd of people. Various
artistes from many villages will be performing throughout her way to the
temple. One can see many village art forms like Karagam, Silambu, Puli Vesham
and many other martial arts being performed all her way to the temple.
This is
to symbolize that the Amman is so happy that she is going to get alive with the
head which is going to be fixed on her body. Breaking of coconuts in front of
the Sirasu is considered a way of worship to the Amman. We can see lakhs of
coconuts broken by the devotees all through her way to the temple. The entire
road stretch of the procession can be seen drenched with coconut water. Many
people like rag pickers make a life out of the broken coconuts as they gather
and sell them off in the market and get their fortune once a year.
Also,
people pray and garland the Sirasu to get their wishes fulfilled. Gangai Amman
is so powerful in granting the wishes of her devotees. After this grand
procession the Sirasu is taken inside the temple and fixed on the body, where
Amman gives Dharshan to the devotees all through the day. In the late evening,
the head is again taken out of the body and carried in a procession, after
which it gets immersed in the water and dissolved.
This
procession is again celebrated in a grand manner than her morning procession,
as it is believed that Amman is going to her mother’s place after the festival.
Major fireworks happen for more than 3 hours which is contributed by various
people from the town and neighboring places. This colorful firework, popularly
called as Vaana Vedikkai is a major event by itself for the town, where lakhs
of people witness from anywhere in the town, right from their terraces itself.
The next
day, Gangai Amman is carried in a Chariot made full of flowers called Pushpa
Pallakku, which is very again a feast to watch. With this, the festival ends
and the whole town awaits again for a year to watch this grand holy event.
Gangai Amman festival is popular in the whole district, attracting lakhs of
devotees every year. In fact, every house celebrates the event by distributing
butter milk, water and ragi porridge to the visiting pilgrims. One can see
people from every house standing outside with something to offer to the people
passing by, which are considered to be very auspicious.