After a grand alankaram of Kumbeswarer and Mangalambika atop the Rishabham on Monday morning, it is a chaotic accident-prone procession from the temple to the Maha Magam Kulam
It is just past 7.30am on Monday (March 2) morning and there is a huge crowd at the Aadhi Kumbeswarar temple, in Kumbakonam. It is Maasi Magam and devotees are thronging the temple to have an early morning darshan. The annadhanam side is full with food being handed out continuously through the morning.
While there is a long queue at the Kumbeswarar and Mangalambika Sannidhis, a few of the priests are giving the final touches to the Pancha Moorthy idols ahead of the long procession to the Maha Magam Kulam. It is a grand alankaram of Swami and Ambal atop the Rishabham and after taking a close look and being satisfied with the alankaram, the priest pastes the Sandal on Swami’s forehead.
It is the Theerthavari day of the annual Maasi Brahmotsavam and the dip in the Maha Magam Kulam has to take place within 30 minutes from noon for the sacred lagnam ends at 12.30pm.
It is well past 10.30am when Aadhi Kumbeswarar and Mangalambika, both on Velli Rishabham make their way out of the temple after the Deepaarathanai and the elephant fanning the Lord. There are devotees who have been at this Maasi Magam procession for several decades and they have seen it all. They debate amongst themselves if the Pancha Moorthy will take a short cut like has happened a few years in the past when the start of the procession has been delayed or if indeed, they will first go on a pradakshinam around the four sacred streets of the temple before taking the trip to the Maha Magam tank.
Wrong Schedule on the banner
At the Eastern entrance, it takes 15 minutes for the Sripatham personnel to tie up the beautiful colourful canopy over Kumbeswarar and Mangalambika even as devotees have darshan of the Rishabham and pick up the sacred white ash from the priests. The huge banner next to the Chariot has got the specifics of this Theerthavari day wrong. The programme schedule states that Kumbeswarar would provide Rishabham darshan on this return procession from Maha Magam Kulam while the reality is that the Rishabham procession is from the temple to the Kulam prior to the Theerthavari event.
HRCE Fails - A Chaotic Procession full of accidents
On to the Kumbeswarar South Street, the traffic is heavy. There are no additional police personnel to stop or redirect the vehicles and the Sripatham have a tough time manoeuvring Swami and Ambal around the vehicles. The HR & CE personnel, who these days are an integral part of temple street processions, are not there in any good numbers. As the procession moves into the West street, the first of the many incidents take place showcasing the unfortunate scenario in small town temples.
Canopy breaks with the overhead wire contact
Lack of attention leads to an overhead wire breaking the wood piece of the canopy as it comes tumbling down behind Mangalambika. Time is short and Ambal cannot wait for too long for the other deities have moved forward. It is the North street when the Sripatham retie the canopy atop Ambal, though it is not to fullest satisfaction of the three priests who are accompanying Mangalambika on the procession.
As Ambal moved on to the middle of the North Street, a corporation vehicle almost bangs against the bamboo piece of Ambal, the second accident in a matter of minuter. It takes another few minutes for the vehicle to dismantle itself. No one seems to be in control to take charge of the procession.
Flowers thrown on the deities
The North Street is where the flower vendors conduct their early morning business. Showing their devotion they throw good quantities of flowers on the Swami and Ambal that falls on the head of the priests sitting there. Presenting a flower garland to Swami and Ambal is a nice gesture but devotees throwing flowers from the street on to the deities does not seem right. The priests bear patiently the unknotted ‘Uthiri’ flowers falling on their body and they knock it off their head.
Passes Sarangapani on the float
It is a very hot morning in Kumbakonam and the time is well past 11am. The Sripatham have to now gather pace to reach the Maha Magam Kulam by noon. The corporation vehicle finally arrives to pour water on to the road to cool the feet of the Sripatham personnel. At the Potramarai Kulam, Sarangapani Perumal is moving through the South side of the tank even as Kumbeswarar and Mangalambika pass by on the Rishabham. It is a quick ‘glance’ meeting of Perumal and Shiva.
A two wheeler crashes next to Mangalambika
As has been the case this morning, with one accident after another unfolding, a speeding two wheeler with three people travelling on it skids in the water near the Police Station right next to Mangalambika. There are loud wailing noises from the injured but the procession has to move on. Traffic is chaotic and the police aren’t helping out restricting the vehicles during this procession to the Maha Magam Kulam. The Sripatham continue to do a good job. There are Thattu presentations as well on the way from the shop owners on the busy Nageswaran North Street.
It is almost close to noon, when Kumbeswarar and Mangalambika reach near the kulam. They are asked to perform a pradakshinam around the Abi Mukeswarar temple and the Maha Magam tank. The owners of the hospitals on the North Street come out to present Thattu and Ambal’s priest presents a shawl and a flower garland to one of them.
Heading to the east street, the overhead wires present more trouble for Kumbeswarar and Mangalambika further delaying the procession. It is past noon when the Theerthavari idol makes its way through the heavily guarded gates. There is a huge crowd inside the Maha Magam tank on all the four sides that have taken prime positions from early morning awaiting this big Theerthavari moment. But with Lords from 12 temples making their way into the tank, devotees who are coming in after noon are now restricted from the entering the temple tank.
The nadaswaram artistes themselves find it difficult to enter but manages to make his way inside the tank for the devotional presentation during the Theerthavari. The priest from the Kumbeswarar temple begins recital of the Mantras leading to the Theerthavari. It is almost close to 12.30pm when the Kumbeswarar Theerthavari idol dips into the sacred tank with all the devotees around too taking a dip. The priest continuously shouts out ‘Om Nama Shiviya’ with devotees following him in this chant in chorus. For once, there are more folded hands than phone cameras with the devotion reaching a peak when Kumbeswarar dipped into the Maha Magam tank that was brimming with water.
There is happiness on the faces of the devotees who have had a close darshan of the Theerthavari of Aadhi Kumbeswarar. And they leave the Maha Magam tank for another year discussing their experience fresh from the sacred bath they have just had.
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