The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Big, beautiful and quite a sight to behold

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Monday, Apr 23, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Big, beautiful and quite a sight to behold

Preparations for the car festival begins six months in advance, involving thousands of artisans at the temple mandapam

MAJESTIC: The Thyagarajar Temple Car being kept ready for the car festival. — Photo: M. Srinath

Sri Thyagarajaswamy Temple at Tiruvarur is unique in having the biggest car in Tamil Nadu. `Tiruvarur Therazhagu" — so goes an adage in Tamil indicating the beauty, majesty and grandeur of the wooden car that weighs 260 tonnes without decoration and 300 tonnes with decoration.

It is a rare and pleasing sight to see the decorated car moving along the four streets around the temple, particularly West Street when the car moves between the sprawling Kamalalayam Tank on one side and the temple on the other side. This year the car festival is held on Monday, the April 23.

Besides the religious aspects, car festivals remain on occasion of social gathering when people come as one to pull the car.

Thirunavukarasar sings in one of his Thevaram — "Azhither Vithagarai Yan Kanda Aroore" meaning that he saw the Lord Thyagaraja going in the car at Tiruvarur.

"Therarum Veedhi Tiruvarur" sang Sekkizhar. Given the giant size of the car at Tiruvarur, it is said that in olden days when people alone pulled the car, it took six months for the car to come back to its stand. Now, iron wheels fitted by Bharath Heavy Electricals Limited at Tiruvarur hydraulic brake systems and bull dozers used for pushing the car facilitate the car to reach the stand the next day.

The car can be brought to the stand the same day but it is believed that it should not come to the stand on the same day and hence a break of one day.

There was a break in the car festival in 1945. After 25 years it was revived only in 1970 with the efforts taken by the present Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

More cars

The temple also has separate cars for Vinayagar, Subramanyar and Chandikeswarar. With a view to construct a new car for the Goddess, the Tamil Nadu government has ordered that a separate car for the Goddess has to be built at a cost of Rs. 30 lakh and released Rs. 10 lakh for the purpose.

Interested persons can contribute by sending donations through money order or demand draft to the Executive Officer, Arulmigu Thyagarajaswamy Temple (Ambal Ther pani), Tiruvarur 610 001.

Preparations for the car festival begins six months in advance. Paper work, bamboo work, preparation of dolls of Brahma, who is said to drive the car, four dummy horses and a snake rearing its hood are prepared by thousands of artisans at the temple mandapam.

`Ther seelai' (decorative clothes used for covering the car) are also prepared and it is said that 3,000 metres of `ther seelai' is used. Hexagonal vimana-like decoration on top of the wooden car starts a few weeks before the festival. Lord Thyagaraja's idol is mounted on the car a week before the festival and devotees permitted to have darshan during nights.

Yet another car

There is yet another car, a stone car which is historically important. It reminds visitors about the justice rendered by Manuneedhi Cholan who ruled Tiruvarur. The son of Manuneedhi Cholan killed a calf while driving his chariot. The bereaved cow came to the palace of the Cholan and sounded the alarm bell kept for airing grievance by people. On knowing that his son had killed the calf, Cholan rendered justice by running his car on his son.

Later with the blessings of Lord Siva the son came alive. Such was the honesty and fair play in rendering justice in those days.

Tiruvarur is one among the sapthavidangasthalams (seven sthalams) of Sri Thyagaraja. The other places are Thiruvoimoor, Thiru Nagai (Nagapattinam), Thirumaraikadu (Vedaranyam), Thirukuvalai, Thirukaravasal and Thirunallar.

Every place has a typical dance of Thyagaraja. Legend has it that a king, Musukunda Chakravarthy, wanted the lingam worshipped by Indra to be taken to Tiruvarur.

As Lord Indra did not want to lose the lingam, he created six more of them and put all the seven and asked Musukanda Chakaravarthy to choose one. The king chose the right one and brought it to Tiruvarur.

Tiruvarur is also one among the panchabootha sthalams of Lord Siva. It is meant for `Boomi' (land). Other panchabootha sthalams are Chidambaram meant for Agayam (sky), Tiruvannamalai meant for Agni (fire), Kalahasthi meant for Vayu (wind), Thiruvanaikaval meant for water.

Tiruvarur is also the place where the music trinities were born. Saint composer Sri Thayagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshithar and Shyama Sastrigal were born here.

Float festival is yet another famous festival at Tiruvarur. Beautifully decorated float takes more than three hours to come around the five-acre Kamalalayam tank.

The place is associated with Sundarar (one of the Nayanmars) who was a `friend' of Lord Siva himself.

G. Srinivasan

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