Will the new HRCE Minister look into such happenings in legendary temples
After a long debate and a signed written letter from the Pandithars, the Rishabham procession takes place on the Aadi Amavasai day from the Aasaariyar Mandapam but the return procession skips the fourth prakara in violation of the historic tradition
It was to be a big celebratory day at the Akiladeswari Jambukeswarar temple in Thiruvanaikaval, one built by Ko Chenganan Chozhan and praised by the Saivite Saint Poets. The Aadi Pooram utsavam for Akilandeswari had started last Wednesday with the flag hoisting that evening followed by a procession around the Ul Thiru Veethi. It was also the day when the legendary Saivite Saint Poet Thirunavukkarasar (Appar) received the Kailaya Kaatchi at Thiruvayaru with Swami providing darshan on the Rishabha Vahana. Historically, Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari provided darshan on the Rishabha Vahana with a Pancha Moorthy procession around the four streets.
வெள்ளி வெற்பின் மேல் மரகதக் கொடி உடன் விளங்கும்
தெள்ளு பேர் ஒளிப் பவள வெற்பு என இடப்பாகம்
கொள்ளும் மா மலையாள் உடன் கூட வீற்று இருந்த
வள்ளலாரை முன் கண்டனர் வாக்கின் மன்னவனார் - Appar
Will one procession be cut off
As is the trend in recent times, one is seeing many twists to utsavams in temples. And there was to be one at this temple as well on this Wednesday. Even as the Aadi Pooram utsavam began last Wednesday, there were murmurs about the likelihood of the Aadi Amavasai procession.
The issue turned out to be this. When the flag was hoisted for Akilandeswari for the Aadi Pooram utsavam, could she go out on a street procession during the utsavam to celebrate another utsavam. There were two separate donor devotees for each of these utsavams – on this Wednesday evening, Akilandeswari was to go around the fourth prakara on the Simha Vahana but it has been a tradition for her and Jambukeswarar to go to the ‘Aasaariyaar’ mandapam south west of the temple near Bharathi street and to return to the temple on the Rishabha Vahana as part of the Pancha Moorthy procession.
ஆன செயலால் திருவானைக்கா என்று அதற்குப் பெயராக
ஞானம் உடைய ஒரு சிலந்தி நம்பர் செம் பொன் திருமுடிமேல்
கானல் விரவும் சருகு உதிரா வண்ணம் கலந்த வாய் நூலால்
மேல் நல்திரு மேற்கட்டி என விரிந்து செறியப் புரிந்து உளதால்
Big Day in the year for Aasaariyars
The aasaariyars of Thiruvanaikaval were given this land to work through the year on the wood work in return for which they were to host the Pancha Moorthies on this Aadi Amavasai day as their Ubayam. And that is a tradition that has been followed for over 150 years.
The question was raised that only one procession could take place on this day and a precedent to this had been set once just under ten years ago and also just over 25 years ago when Aadi Amavasai fell on the 8th day of the Aadi Pooram Utsavam, the more powerful donor had his way and the other procession was celebrated in ‘Aasthanam’ without the street procession.
The EO of the temple, Uma, who took over from Suresh earlier this year asked for the views of the Pandithars on this issue if the two processions could take place on this Aadi Amavasai day. She demanded for their views in writing and the Pandithars of Thiruvanaikaval handed back a signed letter confirming that the two processions could indeed take place on the same day with Ambal going out on the procession after the Uchi Kaala Pooja and returning back to the temple on the Rishabham before the Saayi Raksha Pooja.
And thus, Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari left for the Aasaariyaar Mandapam near the Kallanai Road after the Uchi Kaala Pooja. An Abhisekam followed at this mandapam. With the Simha Vahana procession slated for 7pm from the Akilandeswari Sannidhi, the return Pancha Moorthy procession on the Rishabham was to start at 4pm from this mandapam after the ‘Aasaariyars’ mariyathai but even after 3pm, none of the Kainkaryaparas were seen at this mandapam.
Most shockingly, the Pancha Moorthy Idols were left to fend for themselves with not a single Kainkaryapara of the Thiruvanaikaval temple at this mandapam. There were no Pandithars or Paricharakars or even the HRCE staffers at this mandapam till 3.20pm when the Jewel box arrived at the mandapam following which alankaram specialist Nagarajan Paricharakar too arrived at this location to decorate Swami and Ambal atop the Rishabham.
கடல்வண்ணன் நான்முகன் காண்பரியார்
தடவரை யரக்கனைத் தலைநெரித்தார்
விடமது வுண்டவெம் மயேந்திரரும்
அடல்விடை யாரூராதி யானைக்காவே-Appar
Past 4pm, the alankaram had been done but the full members of the Sripatham team were yet to arrive. It was past 4.45pm when the Pancha Moorthies began their procession back to the temple after mariyathai to the Ubayadarars and to the Adyayana Bhattar and the Othuvar.
Rishabham skips the fourth prakara
The controversies of the day was not yet done with. On the return procession, Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari were to provide Rishabha Vahana darshan on this Aadi Amavasai day around the fourth prakara but this was compromised with both shortage of Sripatham personnel as well as time for there was a Simha Vahana alankaram and procession to be done in the evening for which the Saayi Raksha pooja had to take place.
Hari Pandithar, one of the priests well verses in the technical pooja aspects at this temple told this writer that it was the norm for the Rishabham to go around the Ul Thiru Veethi and there was no question of discussing that point. He had assumed that the Rishabham would indeed go through the fourth prakara but that was not to be the case and he found that to be a violation of the tradition for a Rishabha Vahana procession of Swami and Ambal was not complete without them going around the sacred fourth prakara.
Sriram Pandithiar (left) and Hari Pandithar
நன்றும் இழைத்த சிலம்பி வலைப் பரப்பை நாதன் அடி வணங்கச்
சென்ற யானை அநுசிதம் என்று அதனைச் சிதைக்கச் சிலம்பிதான்
இன்று களிற்றின் கரம் சுலவிற்று என்று மீள இழைத்ததனை
அன்று கழித்த பிற்றைநாள் அடல் வெள்ளானை அழித்ததால்
In front of this writer, he did suggest to the Pandithar of the day, Sriram Pandithar, who quit his job at Sundaram Finance to take up this hereditary service, to ensure that the Rishabham goes around the prakara but the Rishabham returned directly back to the temple through the west entrance.
Calls from this writer to the EO of the temple went unanswered. The new HRCE minister Ramesh is taking a tough stance on violation of traditions in historic Saint Poet praised temples. Would he look into this compromised solution and ensure that in future traditional processions are not done away with in centuries old temples.
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