The Divine Couple of Thiru Naraiyur in Rishabha Vahanams make a trip to Nachiyar Koil to meet their daughter and son in law
It is just after 5pm on the tenth day of the
Margazhi Brahmotsavam at Nachiyar Koil that also included the Kal Garuda Sevai
Utsavam. Gopinathan Bhattar, who also doubles up as HR & CE’s unofficial
marketing executive at the temple getting them the donors for all the utsavams
in the year, has begun a two hour alankaram of Lord Srinivasa and Vanjula Valli
Thayar at the Vahana Mandapam.
வம்பு அவிழும் செண்பகத்தின் வாசம் உண்டு
மணி வண்டு வகுளத்தின் மலர்மேல் வைகு
செம்பியன் கோச் செங்கணான் சேர்ந்த கோயில்
திருநறையூர் மணிமாடம் சேர்மின்களே
A couple of kms away at Thiru Naraiyur, Gurunatha
Gurukal has roped in a couple of young Gurukals from the Kumbeswarar temple in
Kumbakonam for the alankaram of Siddhanatha Swamy and Gomathi Ambal, both
mounted atop Velli Rishabha Vahanam. A couple of hours later, the Lords and Goddesses
had no resemblance to what they were a little while earlier such was the work
of the priests.
The Lord and Thayar of Nachiyar Koil began their 90
minute procession around the Big Madivilagam on a simple pallakku around 8pm.
At 930 pm, both of the deities got into the beautifully lit Float for the first
of the three rounds inside the huge tank, North of the temple. The Theppotsavam
took one back to the olden days when the entire village congregated at the
temple in large numbers.
Economic Driver
It served as a big boost to the local economy. From chats to candies, balloons to bangles, ice creams to drawing books all the vendors made brisk business through the evening. Many other temporary stalls had made its way North of the tank. Several hundreds of young children got a first hand experience of a 'Unified' Utsavam in a temple town.
It served as a big boost to the local economy. From chats to candies, balloons to bangles, ice creams to drawing books all the vendors made brisk business through the evening. Many other temporary stalls had made its way North of the tank. Several hundreds of young children got a first hand experience of a 'Unified' Utsavam in a temple town.
The story goes that Vanjula Valli Thayar asks the
Lord to go slow as she hears that her parents are on the way from Thiru
Naraiyur to witness the Utsavam here and hence the reason for the slow movement of the Float
over the first two rounds.
For the Thevaram Sthalam praised by the famous three Saint Poets, it was one of the grandest days of the year. By 7pm, the Lord and Ambal looked at their resplendent best on their Silver Rishabha Vahanams. The devotees were delighted at the grand alankaram with both the Lord and Ambal seen with large flower garland and glittering jewelry with every visitor conveying their congratulations to the two young Gurukals. An hour later, a grand beautifully lit giant backdrop was added to the Rishabha Vahanams.
By 8.30 pm, the Lord and Ambal were ready to leave
the temple on a 2 hour procession from the Padal Petra Sthalam of Thiru Naraiyur
to the Divya Desam at Nachiyar Koil led on a ‘tractor’ by a nadaswaram troupe
followed by the loud beating of ‘Udal’, the sacred drum by a group of teenaged
boys. All the streets of Thiru Naraiyur were dotted with white pulli kolams
with each of the households welcoming the divine couple to their homes with
presentations to the Lord.
A simultaneous aarathi was presented with the
Gurukal lifting high in a gesture of showering the blessings on the young
couple. Siddhanatha Swamy and Gomathi Ambal presented their gifts to their
daughter and son in law.
The Saivite Legend has it that pleased with the
prayers of Medhavi Maha Rishi, Goddess Lakshmi was born in the middle of the
tank at Thiru Naraiyur as a small child inside the lotus, in a green pavadai
and a beautiful rose top. When ‘Nachiyar Amman’ grew into a beautiful young
girl, Siddhanatha Swamy and Gomathi Ambal gave her in marriage to Srinivasa
Perumal of Nachiyar Koil.
Every year on the Dwadasi day in Margazhi, the Divine Couple from Thiru Naraiyur on a Rishabha Vahana go on a grand procession to witness
the Theppam at Nachiyar Koil. Belief is that Shiva and Parvathi hand over their
daughter in a Kanya Dhanam to Srinivasa Perumal of Nachiyar Koil.
It is the one day in the year when Vaishnavites and Saivites of Nachiyar Koil and Thiru Naraiyur stood next to each other enjoying the rare meeting of the Saivite and Vaishnavite Lords.
Having blessed the young couple, Siddhanatha Swamy
and Gomathi Ambal make their way back to Thiru Naraiyur well after midnight
bringing to end an annual utsavam that signifies the unity that existed in the
centuries gone by between the Saivites and Vaishnavites.
Sun’s rays
on Siddhanatha Swamy
On 5 days in Maasi (16th to 20th
day of the Tamil month), the sun’s rays fall directly on the Lord in the
evening between 5.45pm and 615pm. On these days the lights at the temple is
switched off in the evening and the entire Moolavar Sannidhi is lit with the
Sun’s light. On the fifth evening, the Lord is seen in a grand flower
decoration in a thanking gesture to the Sun God.
Mapillai’s Gift to his in-laws
On the Thiruvathirai day in Margazhi, Nataraja and
Sivagami, within a few days of the trip of Siddhanatha Swamy and Gomathi Ambal
make a trip to Nachiyar Koil Divya Desam to present vastram to the Lord and
Thayar who in return present the Tulasi Garland to the Lord. The priest of
Nachiyar Koil then makes a trip to Thiru Naraiyur to present gifts from the
Mapillai’s side.
80 year old Gnana Sundara Gurukal is fragile. He
has served the temple for over six decades at two and three digit monthly
salary. When he sets his sights on the Lord and Ambal, his eyes lit up with
happy tears rolling down his cheeks. His son Gurunatha Gurukal has been at the
temple for over two decades at a monthly salary of around Rs. 600!!! But in the
father and son, there is total commitment to the Lord and Ambal. They see this
as an engagement with God and they have been performing service without
battling their eyelid over several decades despite it not being financially
remunerative. The story is similar to one finds in several of the ancient Padal
Petra Sthalams – that of Gurukals performing service at meager salary far below
even the minimum wages payable as laid out in the constitution.
The temple is open 8am - 12.30pm and 4pm - 8pm. Contact Gurunatha Gurukal @ 99443 79140.
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