Thiru Nandipura Vinnagaram
Temple, Nathan Kovil – Poojas & Festivals
Poojas:
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 follows the Thenkalai sampradaya and agamas of South Indian Vaishnavism.
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), naivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Srinivasan and
Shenbagavalli. During the last step of worship, Nadaswaram (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.
Festivals:
There are weekly, monthly and
fortnightly rituals performed in the
temple. Two festivals are celebrated every year in the temple. Pavitrotsavam
is a festival organised in the
temple by Karimaran Kalai Kappagam of Triplicane, Chennai, every July. The
festive images of the deity are taken out in procession and special poojas are
performed during the occasion. The Fridays during the Tamil
month of Aipasi are believed to be auspicious to
worship Shenbagavalli. Vaikuntha Ekadasi is devotionally celebrated in the
temple in December-January.
