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| Aadipooram festiva livechennai.com |
Aadipooram festival (July-August), an important annual Hindu temple festival, is celebrated on the day of Poora nakshatram in Aadi masam across South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. This year the Aadipooram date is first of August 01. It is celebrated by women devotees with bhakti and at many temples it is a great event. Sri Andal temple, Srivilliputhur, Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar, Bhagavathy Amman temple, Kanyakumari, etc may be worthy of mention.
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| Arunachaleswar temple, Thiruvannamalai, TN, Alamy.com |
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| Unnamalai Amman, TN thiruvannamalai.in |
At Thiruvannamalai it is a 10-day festival event that began with flag hoisting (Kodiyetram) on the gold-plated flag pole of the temple Each of 10 days there will be a different alankaram (decoration) for the goddess parasakthi and later in the evening there will be religious procession of Utchavars (processional idols) - Parasakthi, Ganapathy and others taken in a decorated palanquin along the four Maada Street around the temple. On the 10th day an important event takes place called Amman Valaikappu. women will wear bangles that were placed at the lotus feet of the deity. Same night there will be fire walk across the shrine of Unnamalai Amman.
Women devotees in large numbers buy colorful bangles and offer them to the deity at the temple as part of prayer. The ''itheegam'' (traditional belief) is that they will have happy and long married life and the young unmarried girls will get a suitable husband matching their sentiments and temperament. In the case of childless couple, they will be blessed with a baby.
At Bhagavathy Amman temple in Kanyakumari town (tip of peninsular India), it is a 10 day event from 2 to 12 July Kalabha abishekam to Amman is a famous one and will be conducted by the head priest. Udhayasthamana puja and Aadivasa homan will be held on the 13th July.
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| Kanyakumari Bhagavathy Amman. flickriver.com |
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| Kanyakumar Bhagavathy Amman temple. .istockphoto.com |
The highlight of Kalabha abishekam is the use of golden pot to conduct various abishekams (anointing) donated by the head of Thirivadudurai Adheenam Swamiji Sri Ambalavana Desika Paramachariyar (24th Guru Sannidhanam). The Kalabha abishekam includes perfumes like Javadhu, panner, honey, curd, sandalwood paste, Kalabham etc. Before the abishekam on the goddess the golden pot with holy water, etc., will be taken in a procession within the temple premises and it will be performed on the deity by Mathur mada Tantri Sri Sankara Narayanasri. After this puja event goddess Kanyakumari will be adorned with gold jewelry, diamond crown and the famous diamond nose stud. Till 11.30 am there will be deepa aradhana to the deity.
Some Facts of Aadipooram festival:
01. Aadi Pooram is observed as the day of Goddess Shakti who is believed to have come to earth this day to bless her devotees and she was born in the month of Aadi in poora nakshatram (star),
02. Her worship gets much importance this month and the festivities are related to prosperity and fertility - both are interrelated that contribute to man's progress in life.
03. Aadi is positively as auspicious month because Goddess Andal was born in this month so was Parasakthi.
04. Aadi month marks the beginning of the night of Devas (celestial).
05. On Aadi Ammavasi day lots of people worship God Murugan- karthikaya. Aadi Ammavasai Therpanam - in memory of our ancestors) is essential.
06. Fridays are auspicious days in many families in the morning women worship neem trees (neem tree and leaves have medicinal properties)
07. For health reasons the married couples are not allowed to sleep together. yet another reason is if the mother delivers baby in May or June in the hot season, it will be tough experience for her.
08. In this month traditionally women buy bangles and take them to the goddess temple near their home and offer payer and puja for the well being of their family.
09. On the Aadipooram day in all temples dedicated to goddess - Durga, Bhavani, Mariamman, Kamakshi Amman, etc., special pujas are conducted in which a large number of women devotees participate without fail. The bangles that are offered to the deity that is enshrined in a sanctified place, will be returned to the women to be worn by them. They will be blessed with good family life and bear children.
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| Thruvarur temple -goddess Kamalambal. facebook.com |
10. On the 10th day of Aadipooram there will be valaikappu event for the presiding Goddess such as - Thirunelveli Kanthimathi-Nellaiappar temple (valaikappu event in the Unjal mantap), Thiruvarur - Kamalambal, Nagapatinam - Neelathatchi, Thirukarukavur- Karpagammabal, Chennai Mylapore - Kabaleeswarar Karpahavalli Amman.
11. Marriages are not common in this month among Hindus as much of the month is spent on festivities.
https://www.dailythanthi.com/Others/Devotional/aadi-pooram-754470
https://www.maalaimalar.com/devotional/worship/thiruvannamalai-arunachaleswarar-temple-aadi-pooram-489864?infinitescroll=1
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