Koodal Azhagar Temple – Religious Practices &
Festivals
The
temple follows the traditions of the Thenkalai sect of Vaishnavite tradition and
follows Vaikasana Aagama. In modern times, 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. Seven poojas or services are performed every day. Each
ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Koodal
Azhagar and Maragathavalli.
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 temple celebrates festivals on 253 days of the
year. The fourteen-day annual Brahmotsavam during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May - June) is the most
prominent festival of the temple. The festive images of the temple are brought
in chariot round the streets of the temple in various mounts during all the
fourteen days. The Dasavatharam, the ten reincarnation stories are enacted.
The
Maasi (February – March) 10 days float Teppa Utsavam on Makam Star in the
temple tank, Aadi Pooram (July – August), Krishna Jayanthi – Birthday of Lord
Krishna, Purattasi (September – October) Garuda Sevai for the eagle vehicle of
Vishnu, Navaratri – the ten-day Dussehra festival, Karthikai (the Full Moon day
in November- December), Sayana Seva, Three fruits decoration, Pavithra Utsavam,
Five Garuda Seva, The hunting festival, Adhyayana Utsavam, The Birth star
Festivals of Alwar and Acharyas, Gajendra Moksham, The New Year Day, Celestial
Wedding Festival, Vasantha Utsava and Vaikuntha Ekadasi (the special eleventh
day of the waxing moon) are other famous festivals in this temple.
Ten days
are celebrated as Karthikai Utsavam (festivities in the month of Karthika), in
honour of Thirumangai Alwar, who performed the Mangala Sasanam (or sang the
poems in praise of the Lord) of the temple. The Vaikunta Vaasal, the symbolic
gateway to the spiritual world, is kept open every year on the 24th morning
of the month of Karthikai. “Ra Paththu” is a ten-day celebration that begins on
the night of Ekadashi, when a hundred of the four thousand Pasurams (verses of
poems composed by Alwars) are sung, every night. Two hundred Pasurams are sung
every day for the next ten days and this is known as Pagal Paththu, the rest of
the thousand songs are sung on the final day of the celebration. Female energy
is harnessed on this night, as the Lord is adorned in the Nachiyar Thirukolam.
(Where the Lord puts on the attire of Mahalakshmi). Another unique festival is
the Vedu Pari Utsavam during which accounts of the temple are submitted to the
Lord Himself.