The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : A spiritual Aadi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 02, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

A spiritual Aadi

Come Aadi maasam, the spiritually charged month, and you can see temples celebrating the various occasions with great gusto and religious fervour. People going to temples at the crack of dawn to pray for health and wealth; the blowing of conches, spiritual discourses and bhajans in many parts of the city bring in a festive atmosphere. The Aadi festival marks the beginning of various important poojas, and each temple has its own unique way of celebrating them.

“The Aadi month is special for all goddesses and is celebrated in a grand manner at all Devi temples. It is believed that Devihasher Valaikaapu/Seemantham during this month and people pray to her for a prosperous marriage and long life. We have a special alankaram everyday during the whole month like Manjal kaapu, Kukuma kaapu, Sandhana kaapu, Veplai kaapu, Kalkandu pavadai, Pushpanjali, lemonpavadai and many more. On the day of Varalakshmi Viratham, when women pray to goddess Lakshmi to bestow material prosperity, Lakshmi alankaram is done. We also have special abishekams and oonjal on Aadi velli, ”says Diwakara Sharma, priest of Mahatripura Sundari temple, Ashok Nagar. Some of the temples also involve themselves in annadhaanam, like the Kamakshi Amman temple at Mangadu.

“Charityis an important aspect of Aadi festival and we have annadhanam during the whole month. For Aadi pooram that marks the birth of Aandal, we have1008kalasa abhishekam and navagraha puja for Devi to invoke her blessings for ‘loka kshema vriddhi’ (welfare of the whole world),” says Manali R. Srinivasan, the trustee of Managadu Temple. Aadi pandigai is also celebrated in many temples with women carrying paal kudam (milk pots), doing angapradashnam, and more. “During the full moon day of the Aadi month, 1008 milk pots are carried to the temple by women. A few of them prepare the chakra pongal (sweet rice dish) for the deity, place garlands before the puthoo holes (snake holes) and do pushpaabhishekam. Various homams are also performed during Tuesdays and Fridays of Aadi month,” says D. Mohanasundaram, Executive ofIicer of Arulmihu Mundahkanni temple, Mylapore. The Aadi festival is also considered auspicious for sumangalis (married women) and many temples celebrate Aadi Thiruvizha highlighting its importance. “We have velakku puja where women pray for progeny and the longlife of their husbands; and ‘kuzh utardhu’ where kuzh (rice gruel) is distributed to poor people,” says V.Sabapathy, joint secretary of Muthu Mariamman temple, Adyar. There is also a list of temples that is considered to be very auspicious when visited during the Aadi month. “It is considered auspicious to get a darshan of the three important shakthis prevailing all praanas - namely icha shakthi (thiruvudaiamman), kriyashakthi (kodiyidaiamman) and gnanashakthi (vadivudai amman) or a darshan of nine amman temples,” says Mani Shastrigal of K.K.Nagar. Some temples like the Rangamannar temple and Gomathi Amman temple celebrate the month of Aadi in a big way. “I went for the Aadi bramhotsavam, a 12 day festival a few years back in Srivilliputhur temple and it was a delight to see how they celebrate the birth of Aandal. With Aandal in Chandraprabai and Lord Rangamannar in Simhavahanam, a procession was taken in the night. On the seventh day, the lord was decorated in ‘say an a thirukkolam’ with his head resting on the lap of Aandal. Also, Garudasevai and a procession of the lord on an elephant would be taken. On the last day, Pushpa Yagam would be done, adorning the deities with flowers. This is a splendid treat for our eyes and thousands of devotees came to see this festival,” says Kalyani Vishwanathan, a bank employee passionate in wide-researching on temples. She adds, “Aadi tapasu is celebrated in Gomathi amman temple, Sankaran koil on Aadi pournami. Goddess Gomathi Amman is believed to be doing intense penance to see the unified images of Siva and Vishnu. The deity is taken in procession around the temple on this day.”

Lalitha Ramesh