Srivanchiyam Maasi Barani Utsavam

Yama carries the Lord in celebration of a historical episode 

The historical episode of Lord Vanchinathaswamy appearing before Yama Dharma Raja at the ‘Kirthaatha Kundam’ on Maasi Barani and accepting the wish of the latter to serve as his vahana was played out at the Gandharanya Kshetram (abound with Sandalwood trees) of Srivanchiyam on Monday (Feb 11) as part of the Maasi Mahotsavam 

(http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/08/srivanchiyam-vanchinathaswamy-temple.html) .

For centuries, this one of its kind procession in a Thevaram Sthalam of Yama himself carrying the Lord for the Theerthavari Utsavam and providing darshan to devotees around the four Mada streets has been the most sacred festival at this temple.

One of the six locations along the banks of Cauvery that have been specified as sacred and comparable to Kasi and praised by the four Saint Poets, the Vanchinathaswamy temple in Srivanchiyam was once home to a vibrant patshala with students learning and reciting the Vedas and Sastras. Appar makes a reference to Yama in his verse.

Served for over five decades with very little salary
79 year old Doraiappa Gurukal joined the temple in 1962 and served for over four decades. He remembers the years when devotees from all surrounding villages congregated on the morning of Maasi Barani “50 Brahmin families lived here in the agraharam and the Mada Streets with Vedic recital being an integral part of life here. Several hundreds of devotees lined up the streets to watch the most sacred utsavam of this old temple town. In no other temple do you have an utsavam where Yama carries the Lord. Belief is that those who bathe at the Theertham on this day and are part of the procession will be relieved from all sins.”

However, his son Swaminathan Gurukal who was a bachelor at the time of his father’s retirement could not immediately take up the services in the Vanchinathaswamy and Ambal Sannidhi. Subsequently, after his wedding too, given the internal power struggle, he has not been able to carry out the services even though there was an appointment order to that effect 3 years ago. And he has been assigned the role of managing the Yama Sannidhi.

Legendary Utsavam on Maasi Barani

The legend goes that Yama Dharma Raja, worried at adding to his own sins and incurring the wrath of many as the one being responsible for deciding the mortality and the timing of death, and depressed at having caused the untimely demise of Markandeya Rishi came to Srivanchiyam, created the Yama Kundam and undertook penance invoking the blessings of Lord Shiva.

Pleased with his prayers, the Lord provided darshan to him on the Barani day in Maasi and promised an exclusive opportunity for Yama Dharma Raja to carry him around the streets of Srivanchiyam on this day. In memory of this legendary event, every year on the 2^nd day of the Maasi Mahotsavam, Vanchinatha Swamy goes on a procession with Yama as his Vahana for the Theerthavari Utsavam at the Yama Kundam. 

The Theerthavari on the second day of a 10 day Mahotsavam is another speciality (there is another Theerthavari at the end of the festival as well) and is in recognition of Yama’s penance and his noble thought of relieving the death fears of devotees from the sins of their previous births.

HR & CE official offers a pleasant surprise

It is 6am on Monday morning and unusually quiet for the most festive occasion at the temple. While the Yama Dharma Raja Sannidhi is not yet open, Kailasanatha Gurukal is all ready to begin the Abhishekam for Vanchinathaswamy in front of just a few devotees including a family that had come for a parikaram. 

Soon after, tension began to mount at the temple. The entire zone around the dwajasthambam was filled with hundreds of paddy bags handed to the temple by Lessees (of temple lands), which in itself was quite a rare occurrence at an HR & CE temple. As is the case with remote temples these days, there was a shortage of people to carry the Lord on the huge and heavy vahana. Huge quantity of Paddy was also seen on the floor right in front of the Nandhi. 

The Silver Yama Vahana was in the Vahana mandapam and had to be brought out for alankaram but paddy, seen in a huge mound, had to first be cleared. There were just four service personnel to clear this into the bags. And then there was a shortage of bags as well!!!!

It is well after 9.30 am when the HR & CE officials walk in, one by one. A heartening feature of the day was the nonstop follow up efforts of the HR & CE accountant (Ms. Ilavarasi) to get the large quantity of paddy cleared off the processional path. Later she made frenetic calls to secure the services of the Sripatham personnel in required numbers and on time.

Once the Vahana was brought out, the priests began the alankaram of the Lord and Ambal while at the Eastern entrance, Swaminathan Gurukal was seen performing the abhishekam for Yama.

The clock was ticking to 11.30 am and the flower garlands had not yet arrived. Once again, the HR& CE official made the calls to secure the huge flower garlands to decorate the Lord, Ambal and Yama Dharma Raja. Rarely has one seen a HR & CE official take such personal interest especially in a remote temple, in clearing the hurdles in a timely manner, an effort that allowed the priests to focus on the Abhisekam and Alankaram that preceded the procession. 

Swaminathan Gurukal was now engaged in the alankaram of Yama Vahana. Shortly after noon, Vanchinathaswamy and Mangalambikai mounted on to Yama, giving him the special privilege on this one day of the year, of carrying them around the four big streets of Srivanchiyam.

Theerthavari at Yama Kundam

It is almost 1pm when the priests performed the Theerthavari at the Yama Kundam South of the temple, the tank created by Yama before he began his penance at this temple invoking the blessings of Lord Shiva. Devotees present on the day also had a dip in this sacred tank that is believed to take away the fears of death in this life.

For the next hour, the Lord and Ambal provided darshan to the devotees around the Mada streets before returning to their abode at 2pm bringing to end this historical festival.

Special Status for Yama

At this temple, Yama has been accorded the leading status with a separate sannidhi at the Eastern Entrance of the temple. The practice is for the devotees, to bathe at the sacred ‘Gupta Theertham’ and have darshan of Yama Dharma Raja before they enter the sanctum of Vanchinathaswamy. Marking the celebratory occasion, Yama and Chitragupta were at their resplendent best in silver kavacham.

The temple is open between 6am-12.30pm and 4pm-8pm     

How to reach

Srivanchiyam is 6kms from Nannilam off the Nagapattinam - Nachiyar Koil Highway. From Tiruvarur, one can reach the temple via Manakkal (around 15kms).

(A Version of this story featured in The Hindu Friday Review dated Feb 13)