For the first time, Singaravellar provides darshan as Sankara Narayanan sporting a Vaishnavite Thiruman on his forehead and holding a mace in his hand
Across temples in Tamil Nadu, the next gen priests are becoming increasingly interested in decorating the Lord in different ways. Grand and differentiated alankarams are becoming the order of the day at utsavams. So what’s different today at the procession is a question that comes up every now and then among devotees visiting the utsavams. At least the new gen devotees seem to want to see something new and different at processions that they can take photo shots and discuss with their friends and family members.
On Saturday evening, devotees visiting the third and final day of the annual Thai Theppotsavam at the Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore were in for a surprise. A set of devotees seemed to be excited at the unveiling of Singaravellar in a new Thiru Kolam but there were those traditional devotees who were not so impressed in this first of its kind attire at this Theppotsavam.
Murugar sports a Vaishnavite Thiruman
Just after 6pm, Singaravellar accompanied by his consorts Valli and Deivanai, made his way out of the Navarathri mandapam for a procession around the Mada Streets. What took many by surprise was the Thiru Kolam of Singaravellar as Sankara Narayanan sporting a Vaishnavite Thiruman on his forehead and holding a mace in his left hand.
Excited devotees clicked any number of photo shots over the fast paced procession. There were devotees who took a close look at the attire of Singaravellar, the posture of his legs, the ornaments across his chest as well as the different weapons that he carried on Saturday evening.
A puzzled look
On to the South Mada street, a devotee family who had come to the Kapaleeswarar temple earlier in the evening stood perplexed as they looked at the Lord on the procession while they were on their way back home. Is this Perumal asked one family member to another or is this Kapaleeswarar. They also asked if the consorts were Sri and Bhoo Devi only to be told that this was Singaravellar making his way to the Theppam along with Valli and Deivanai.
Why change the traditional attire
One of the service personnel who has been working at the temple for three decades was saddened at this new trend of differentiated Thiru Kolam. There is a certain attire that has been a tradition for Murugar at this Theppotsavam “After being on the Theppam on the first day, appa ‘Kapaleeswarar’ tells his son to enjoy himself on the next two days on the float along with his consorts. But to decorate Murugar in a Thiru Kolam of Appa (Sankarar) did not seem right”, he told this writer.
The Thiru Kolam of the day was anchored by Chief Priest E Venkatasubramaniam (Jayakanthan) Shivachariar, who was in-charge of the procession on Saturday evening.
The service personnel told this writer that till a few decades ago the previous generation of priests stuck to traditional attire for the Lord as had been customary for centuries. “Singaravellar was always seen in a Muthu Kumara Thiru Kolam on the second and third days of the Theppotsavam but clearly there is a new trend emerging now”, he said.
If Lord Muruga was indeed to be decorated as Sankara Narayanan, the consorts too should have been appropriately attired as Parvati/Thaayar, he said.
But for a large section of the devotees, Saturday evening was exciting as they sat around the steps of the temple tank and enjoyed Singaravellar go on a three hour nine round procession including one in the rain that struck late after 10pm.
Singaravellar made his way back to the temple after 11pm. The three day utsavam ended with the Sripatham personnel delighting the hundred odd devotees with a display of Voyali in front of the Ambal Sannidhi.
It was an evening of mixed feelings among devotees as they were caught between the traditional attire of Muthu Kumara Thiru Kolam and the new one of Murugar as ‘Sankara Narayanan’ but it looks like the new trend of differentiated Thiru Kolams is here to stay.
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