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| Tamil month of Margazhi (Mid Dec. to Mid Jan).facebook.com |
In the vicinity of Hindu temples across Tamil Nadu, the soul stirring and soothing mystical sound of classical music and chants of divine hymns in Tamil and Sanskrit on God Vishnu and other deities normally will rant the dark, chilly and gloomy early winter morning when people like cuddled up under the thick blanket in deep slumber. Not to be disturbed, people normally would prefer catching up more sleep induced by the cool and congenial weather. Forgetting about the next depression in the Bay of Bengal, the euphoria of bhakti grips the ardent devotees relegating a sense of foreboding of heavy rains to the back stage. In the Tamil month of Margazhi, the atmosphere charged with religious fervor and spiritual exhilaration, is more pronounced in South India, in particular, in all Divyadesam shrines than others for two reason: 01. The long-drawn Vaikunda Ekadasi festivities falling during this period and 02. Chanting of holy hymns ''Thirupavai'' composed by Sri Andal Nachiyar, the foster daughter of Periyazhzwar and observation of Paavai Nombu by women.
Margazhi. a divine and an auspicious month for the Hindus, starts from mid-December to mid-January (also called Dhanur month; waxing phase of moon) encompassing Sukla Ekadashi and Makara Sankranthi. Sri Krishna (God Vishnu) is the prime deity in this month and the Lord said in the Bhagavad Gita, ''I m Margazhi among 12 months''. Obviously, divinity is imparted to this month.
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Sorgavasal Thirappu, Sri Parthasarathi temple, Triplicane, Chennai, TN.www.youtube.com
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| 2019 ''Sorgavasal Thirappu'', Srirangam, TN. tamil.samayam. |
Besides Arudra Darshan (associated with Shiva temples), two important temple festivals are celebrated with pomp and bhakti in Tamil Nadu, Vaikunda Ekadasi festival is celebrated on a grand scale at Sri Ranganathar temple, Srirangam, TN and other Sri Vishnu temples at Tirupati, Kumbakonam and Kanchipuram. At the Bhadrachalam Sri Rama Temple, Andhra state, it is celebrated on a grand scale. At Vishnu temples in Kerala it is held as Swarga Vathil Ekadashi and the presiding deity (Utchavar) is taken in a procession around the shrine within the temple premises. The ''Sorgavasal thirappu'' - opening of the celestial gate to Heaven will be toward the end of Dec. or early January 2 in the Vishnu temples in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and elsewhere.
The Thirupavai festival assumes much significance at the popular Sri Villiputhur Andal temple ( about 81 km from Madurai city) in Virudhunagar district where Kodai Nachiyar was born and adopted by Periyazhwar, one of the Tamil Azhwar saints who had built the temple there. During that time, Thrumanchanam (abhisheka) is done to Goddess Nachiyar Andal and God Sri Vatapatrasayi (Sri Vishnu).
Thiruppavai in Chaste Tamil was composed by Andal (Goddess Lakshmi) whom Periazhwar had found under the tulsi plant in the temple garden (hence the name Srivilliputhur Andal temple). The saint named her as “Goda”- meaning “gift of god”,
The interesting aspect of Andal festival is all through the month of Magazhi each day in the early morning there will be chanting of Thrupavai and puja to the main deity. The tradition has it that Sri Andal herself made a flower garland each day for God Vishnu and chanted Thirupavai pasruram and, at last, married the lord at Sri Ranganatha Swami temple, Srirangam by merging with him in the sanctum. Hence, Rangnathar becomes Rangamannar (at Srivilliputhur). The divine verses of Thirupavai are sung in all Vishnu temples across Tamil Nadu and other southern states and the tradition has been around for centuries.
Each day one verse is chanted beginning with the ‘Margazhi neerattu’festival and the ‘pachcha paraputhal’. The final two verses are also chanted in most temples everyday. The presiding deities, Andal and Rengamannar, are offered vegetables and sugarcane. On Bhogi, the final day of the Tamil month, a farewell or Piriya Vidai is performed and Sri Andal Neerattu Utsavam is followed by Sri Andal Thirukkalyanam. The same ritual of singing the Thiruppaavai is observed in homes as well.
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Andal temple, Srivilliputhur,TN pinrest.com
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| Goddess Andal and Rangammar(Vishnu), Srivilliputhur, TN pinrest.com |
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| Murals in the prakara,Sri Villiputhur Andal temple, Alamy.com |
For centuries, the Tamil month of Margazhi has been closely linked with some unique Hindu temple festivals. The same period marks the pilgrimage to the popular Sabarimala Ayyappan temple, in the state of Kerala located on the western ghat where the Mandala Puja and Magaravillakku events take place. Devotees, including VIPs from various parts of India observe strict Vratam (fasting, etc) and undertake the pilgrimage to the hill temple. Another religious event toward the end of the same period associated with the Sabarimala temple is the holy journey -"Thiruvabharana khosha yathra".
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| Sri Ayyappan temple, Sabarimalai, Kerala state.indiatvnews.com |
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| Thiruvabharana khosha yathra Kerala .newindianexpress.com |
Above image: The 3-day procession carrying the sacred golden jewelry - ''Thiruvabharanam'' ‘to the sabarimalai normally will take place toward the end of Margazhi - January 15, from Pandalam Valiya Koyikkal Sree Dharma Sastha temple. The procession will begin from the Pandalam temple. Kept in three sandalwood boxes, the ornaments are being carried on head by 12 people accompanied by guards and security officers. The ornaments will be worn by the lord during the Puja protocol,.............................................
The sacred golden ornaments of Ayyappan, kept at Valiyakoikkal Temple inside the Srambickal Palace owned by the early Pandalam rulers of Kerala, are taken in a religious procession (83-km traditional path) to Sabarimala temple where pujas are done on the idols with the ornaments. The God's jewelry will be returned to the Pandalam family upon completion of Mandala puja.
Christmas festival also falls during this period on the 25th of December every year and lots of people including Hindus and others undertake Padayatra (on foot) to Velankanni Matha Church established by the Portuguese, Velankanni town close to Nagapatnam, a coastal town in TN.
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| Margazhi month. kollam in front of Hindu homes, Tamil Nadu.facebook.com |
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| Kollam in front of homes, Margazhi month.you tube |
Arudra Darshan is an important Tamil festival celebrated in the first week of Margazhi and is dedicated God Nataraja, a form of Lord Shiva. The festival falls on the Arudra Nakshatram (star)or Thiruvaathirai Nakshatram and at the Chidambaram Sri Nataraja temple, TN it is famous.
Invariably, most of the Hindu homes are kept clean and tidy with huge kolams (a sort of rangoli) with impressive geometrical patterns carefully done with rice flour, etc.ostly it is done in front of the home and in the prayer room. This tradition prevails only in rural and semi rural areas where the motor vehicle traffic is far less. In the past, the bright yellow flowers of the pumpkin creeper used to adore the kolam in the middle with a blob of cow dung. I have never seen any kollam with flowers in the last one decade or so. This age-old tradition may be followed in the rural or semi rural areas.
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| Women worship in a temple 2019, Margazhi month.maalaimalar.com |
Above image: December 17 2019. collective women worship in the early morning at 5.30 am at Kottai Mariamman (Sakthi) temple, Dindugal, Tamil Nadu. Thiruvillaku puja; The girls and women lit the oil lamp and chanted holy hymns. The temple opened around 4 am for special prayer, flower decoration, etc. In the evening, there was special alangaram (decoration) for the deity (goddess) and it was followed by golden chariot pulling around the shrine within the temple by the devotees. This kind of temple worship is observed in many temples dedicated to Goddesses like Durga, Lakshmi, Kamakshi and others in the early part of Margazhi month in Tamil Nadu elsewhere in the south.
In Margazhi, spiritual activities and temple celebrations gain precedence over other pressing social events. Important events/ family functions such as wedding celebrations, grahapravesam - moving into a newly-built house, opening of businesses and other rituals or social events do not take place.
In this month, the Brahma Muhurtham is said to be dedicated to the Devas (celestial). It is the time between 4.00 am to 6.00 am and is believed to be auspicious to engage in religious activities, music, etc. In all Hindu temples, the popular festivals are observed with meticulous care and precaution with limited admission of devotees into the temples because the air is filled with foreboding as the Covid - 19 pandemic is not yet tackled with a successful vaccine as of today.
http://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2018/12/andal-temple-srivilliputhur-tamil-nadu.html
