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Friday, September 28, 2018

Govindaraja Perumal Temple, Chidambaram – Festivals & Religious Practices

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.