The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Thousands take part in Koovagam festival

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Thursday, May 03, 2007
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Thousands take part in Koovagam festival

J. Malarvizhi

RELIGIOUS FERVOUR: An idol of Koothandavar is taken in procession around the Koovagam village on Wednesday morning, prior to the ceremony replicating the sacrifice of Aravaan. — Photo: J.Malarvizhi

VILLUPURAM: Several thousands of people, including members of the transgendered community, thronged the Koothandavar Temple for the Koovagam festival, which started on Tuesday evening and concluded on Wednesday afternoon.

Dressed in their festive best, many of them had thalis or mangalsutras tied around their neck near the sanctum sanctorum to fulfil vows. The small structure is adorned with a series of sculptures narrating the sacrifice of Aravaan for the success of the Pandavas in the Mahabharatha war and the marriage of Krishna in female form to Aravaan.

Devotees queued up either to get the thalis tied or catch a glimpse of the bedecked Koothandavar, shelling out Rs. 10 for entering the temple. Young assistants of the priests tied thalis around the necks of the devotees before the latter proceeded to worship.

On Wednesday morning, a giant idol of the deity was taken in procession around the village and the sacrifice re-enacted by a nearby pond. The thalis tied the previous days were cut off and given with the offerings of coconut, betel leaves and jackfruit at the temple.

The transgendered `brides' of the previous evening came dressed in white, broke their bangles and wailed aloud in traditional mourning for the widowed.

Bharati Kannamma, who has been attending the festival from 1979, recalls that 100 to 150 devotees used to attend the festival initially. Now, the popularity of the festival has increased.

The narrow roads winding through sugarcane and paddy fields were choked with special buses carrying pilgrims to the village.

The growing response to the festival has prompted the Government to provide assistance for housing the transgendered in the region. About one and a half acres near the temple is being sold in plots ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet.

The Government would be granting Rs. 50,000 to the owners of each plot to build or develop it as they desired, said R. Subburayulu of R.S. Real Estate that bought up farmland near the temple for the project.

While some five plots have been booked so far, several others have expressed an interest in the scheme, he said.

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