Govindaraja Perumal Temple, Chidambaram – Festivals &
Religious Practices
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 Govindaraja
and Pundarikavalli.
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 10-day Chittirai festival celebrated during
the Tamil month of Chittirai (March - April) and
Gajendra Moksha festival are the prominent festivals celebrated in the temple. Vasantha
Utsavam, Aadi Pooram, Panguni Uthiram, Chitra Pournami and Jestabishekam are
the other festivals celebrated here.
