Tiruvannamalai - Festivals
Home » TamilNadu Districts » Tiruvannamalai » Festivals
Tiruvannamalai - Festivals
A number of festivals are celebrated in the temple, some for a few days and others lasting for just a day. To mark the sun's turning northwards, the Utharaayanam festival is celebrated for ten days in the month of January. The Vasanthautsavam festival in the months of April-May is observed to commemorate Kamadhana, the burning of Man-matha, the personification of desires. This festival also lasts for ten days. The quarrel between the Lord and Goddess and Saint Sundarar's efforts to reconcile their differences is the celebration of the Thiruvoodal festival.Then there is Maha Sivarathri, occurring in February-March.
This is a very important, spiritually significant festival that re-enacts the story of Brahma, Vishnu and all other deities paying homage to the column of fire after the humbling of the pride of Brahma and Vishnu. At their request, Lord Arunachala, out of compassion takes the form of lings. On the previous day itself a solemn atmosphere pervades the whole town and the temple. Tiruvannamalai is the place where Saivism began and flourished, Maha Sivarathri has a special significance. The oldest festival of South India which is also the most elaborate and most important.
Karthigaideepam: Festival falls in the Tamil month of Karthigai when the star Krithika is on the ascendant and usually occurs on a full moon day. In Karnarpadu, the poet in one of the stanzas, describes hoe in the Tamil month of Karthikai during the time of the Krithika star, the lamps lit by the people blossomed on earth, bringing rain in its wake. In another Tamil work, the Kalavazhi Narpadu dating back to the third Sangam period (after 1000 B.C) the poet says, "in the battle the blood oozing out from the dead soldiers' bodies is like the red coloured flame of the lamps lit during Karthikai deepam festival". In another Sangam work, Pazhamozhi, in stanzas ending in proverbs,one stanza ends with this phrase, "like the beacon on the Hill."
This is a clear reference to the beacon lit on the holy Hill of Arunachala. Thedeepam festival is not confined to the temple, but involves the whole town. Once a small village, Tiruvannamalai had now grown into a small city. Yet the charm and beauty of the deepam festival will remain the same as it was hundreds of years ago. The deepam burns for seven, nine, eleven or thirteen days and at about six every evening it flares up and burns through out the night. The deepam is visible for miles around. There is a strange fascination about it. To walk around Arunachala slowly with our attention fixed on the light, without thoughts is a unique experience.
Anually many festivals are carried out in the temple. Some of the festivals are famous and important The most famous festival is "Karthigai Deepam" and is celebrated in the month of November/December. The 'Karthigai Deepam' festival is celebrated for ten days. During the festival everyday in the morning and night 'Lord Arunachaleswara' will come for procession.
In the morning 'Lord Chandrashekara' will come for procession. In the Night 'Lord Periya Nayagar' will come for the procession. The smilling face of the 'Periya Nayagar' steals the show. Everyone should dharshan 'Periya Nayagar'. Arunachaleswarar alias Periya Nayagar who steals the show. Everyday in the night 'Pancha Moorthis' will come for the procession. They are 'Vinayagar' , 'Subramaniyar' , 'Arunachaleswarar' , 'Abeethakuchaambal' and 'Sandeswarar'. On every day of the festival elobarate arrangements will be made for the procession. On everyday night 'Deeparadhana' will be performed for 'Pancha moorthis' in the 'Kalyana Mandapam' and they will go for procession. Everyday big 'Vahanas' will be there for swami.
Arunachaleswarar will give dharshan on 'Vahanams' and big umberllas will be put. Fifth day has the very big vahanam and it is 'Rishabha Vahanam'. It is made up of silver and the total height is 25 feet from the ground. The diameter of the umberlla for that day is 17 feet. The scene of climbing over 'Rishaba vahanam' is very nice and emotional. Everyone in a life time should see this day. Arunachaleswarar in 'Rhishabha Vahanam' The sixth day is 'Silver chariot'. The chariot is made up of pure silver and it is beutifully built. The seventh day is 'MahaRatham'. This chariot is made up of wood and it is very big. It takes the full size of the road while running.
All these 'Silver Vahanams' are maintained by the Nagarathars. The Tenth day is 'Maha Deepam'. On the morning at 4'o clock , the 'Bharani Deepam' will be light on. And then these Deepams will be placed all over the temple. On the Evening, 'Panch Moorthis' will have the maha-abhishekam and very grand 'alankaram' then they come to the 'Deepa-darshana Mandapam'. Exactly at 6,o clock 'MahaDeepam' will be lighted on the top of the Mountain. At the same time 'Deeparadhana' will be performed to 'Pancha moorthis'. Lakhs of people will dharshan the 'Mahadeepam' every Year and they will go to the extreme exitement. Two days after the 'mahadeepam' Arunachaleswarar will go to perform the 'GiriPradhakshina' (Making round the hill).
Tiruvannamalai - Festivals
Home » TamilNadu Districts » Tiruvannamalai » Festivals
| 