Showing posts with label 5 Nandis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 Nandis. Show all posts

5 August 2017

August 5, 2017 Shani Pradosham: Arunachaleswarar Temple



Shani Pradosham occurs when the 13th Moon-day falls on a Saturday. As Lord Shiva has greater influence over Saturn on this day, Saturn can be led to loosen and release some of our karmic bonds.

Shani can bless with both good and bad and for this reason a prayer to him, especially on Saturdays, is said to mitigate devotee’s hardships. He is ruled by Lord Yama. Saturn ensures happiness.

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At a village called Surutapalli, (nearly 60 kms from Chennai), Pallikondeswarar Temple is located which is home to a recumbent Siva (Sayana Sivan i.e. Sleeping Siva).


Story about Saturday Pradoshams

The story goes that during the churning of the ocean, when Lord Siva swallowed poison spewed from the seas, his neck turned blue. Goddess Parvati rushed forward and held his neck so that the poison would not spread to the rest of his body. This Shiva is represented at the Pallikondeswarar Temple by the image of the Lord sleeping on the lap of the Goddess Parvathi.

The Gods came down from heaven to have darshan of the Lord but were stopped by gatekeeper Nandi, who asked them to return after Shiva was fully rested. When the Lord woke, he was filled with happiness and danced the “Ananda Thandavam”. The day the Gods came to have darshan of the Lord is reputed to have been a Saturday.


Pradosham Abhishekams at Arunachaleswarar Temple
Abhishekam is performed on the five major Nandi statues at Arunachaleswarar Temple on the occasion of each Pradosham. 

From east to west the five Temple Nandis are: 

Periyar Nandi in front of Vallala Gopuram Fifth Prakaram.
Chinna Nandi, Fourth prakaram 
Kodi Kampathu Nandi, Third Prakaram 
Ratha Vilaku Nandi, Second Prakaram 
Pradosha Nandi, Moolastanam 



Worship of Periyar Nandi, 5th Prakaram

Large Nandi

Devotees in 5th Prakaram watching abhiskekam of Lord Nandi

Kodi Kampathu Nandi, 3rd Prakaram (Flagpost)

Rathu Vilaku Nandi, 2nd Prakaram

Abhishekam of the Lord with his Consort

Alankaram of the Gods

Procession of the Gods at Arunachaleswarar Temple

Circumambulation of the Shiva Shrine, Arunachala background



17 January 2017

Maatu Pongal: 2017 Pongal Festival


From the early hours Abishekam is performed at the Temple, in order to ensure the start of the procession by 5 a.m. At which time iconic representations of the Lord (and Parvati) is carried by attendants on a palanquin with a huge sunshade. 

After Blessing the Nandhis enroute the Holy Couple find their way out through the thitti vaasal - a small entry at the east of the Temple compound, instead of leaving through the main Temple gate known as the Raja Gopuram. 
 

Lord Arunachaleswarar gives darshan to the Sun

The Goddess in front of the Thitti Vassal Gate

On blessing the Sun at the thitti vaasal the procession goes around the temple perimeter thrice.

The third day of this Festival is known as Mattu Pongal and is meant to offer thanks to cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. 

A legend associated with the Festival and particularly connected with Mattu Pongal goes like this. 


The Banishment of Basava 

The third day of Pongal known as Mattu Pongal involves Lord Shiva and his mount, Nandi (Basava), the bull. According to legend, Lord Shiva once asked the bull to go to Earth and deliver this message: "have an oil massage, bathe daily and eat food once a month". Basava mixed up the message, and mistakenly told the people; "have an oil massage, bathe once a month and eat food daily". Enraged Shiva cursed Basava and said that due to his mistake there would be shortage of grains on Earth. He banished the bull to live on Earth forever in the form of cattle and help people plough the fields. 

Thus, Mattu Pongal has an association with cattle. As well as farmers and agriculturalists celebrating Mattu Pongal, the cow (buffalo) is also worshipped at Arunachaleswarar Temple. 


The Five Nandis 

During Mattu Pongal at Arunachaleswarar Temple, apart from other celebrations, the five Nandis (and Adhikara Nandi) inside the Temple are lavishly decorated with garlands and foodstuff. 

The Five Nandis: 

Pradosha Nandi in Moolastanam
Ratha Vilaku Nandi in Second Prakaram
Kodi Kampathu Nandi in Third Prakaram
Chinna Nandi in Fourth Prakaram 
Periya Nandi in front of Vallala Gopuram, Fifth Prakaram


Ratha Vilaku Nandi, 2nd Prakaram
 
Kodi Kampathu Nandi, 3rd Prakaram

Chinna Nandi, 4th Prakaram


Periyar Nandi, Vallala Gopuram 5th Gopuram


Close-up of sumptuously decorated Periyar Nandi, 5th Prakaram

  
Gods giving darshan to Periya Nandi at 5th Prakaram

Adhikara Nandi

8 December 2015

Amavasya Pradosham: December 8, 2015

At the time of the bi-monthly Pradosham observed at Arunachaleswarar Temple, abhishekam and aarti are performed on the Five Temple Nandis.


The Five Temple Nandis from east to west are:

Periya Nandi in front of Vallala Gopuram Fifth Prakaram.
Chinna Nandi fourth prakaram
Kodi Kampathu Nandi, Third Prakaram
Ratha Vilaku Nandi, Second Prakaram
Pradosha Nandi, Moolastanam



Kodi Kampathu Nandi, Third Prakaram

Aarti at Kodi Kampathu Nandi, Third Prakaram

Lord Arunachaleswarar begins circumambulation of the Siva Sannidhi

Circumambulation of Siva Sannidhi

Early morning inside the Temple Compound


16 January 2015

Happy 2015 Pongal from Arunachala


Pongal was originally a Harvest Festival for the farming community but today it is celebrated by all. It follows the solar calendar and is celebrated on the same days each year. With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) the new Tamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals.

According to the calendar based on the solar system the year is divided into two halves following the apparent movement of the Sun northwards and Southwards. The former is termed Uttarayanam and the latter is Dakshinayanam. Uttarayanam marks the Sun’s movement northward for a six month period and all important events are scheduled during this time. On the first day of Thai, the Sun leaves the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and enters that of Capricorn, the latter is known as Makaram. The event thus is celebrated as Pongal.

There is a Tamil saying; "Thai peranthal Vali Perakum" – which means - with the dawn of the month of Thai, there will be peace, happiness, prosperity, brightness and harmony in the life of everyone.

Four festivals are celebrated at Tiruvannamalai (and throughout Tamil Nadu) for four consecutive days during Pongal Festival. Bhogi Pongal on January 13th, Surya Pongal on January 14th, Maattu Pongal on January 15th, and Thiruvalluvar Day (Kaanum Pongal) on January 16.

On Bhogi old clothes and materials are thrown away and set on fire, marking the beginning of a new life. The second day of Pongal, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal. The third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. The fourth day of this Festival is called Kaanum Pongal. In a few places this day is also known as Karinaal or Thiruvalluvar Day.


Decorated Nandi at Arunachaleswarar Temple, Pongal 2015


Today the third day is known as Mattu Pongal, on which we offer thanks to the cows and buffaloes. To look at an earlier cow pongal at Tiruvannamalai, please go to this link here. As well as farmers and agriculturalists celebrating Mattu Pongal today, the cow (buffalo) is also worshipped at Arunachaleswarar Temple.

The Five Nandis

During Mattu Pongal at Arunachaleswarar Temple, apart from other celebrations, the five Nandis inside the Temple are lavishly decorated with garlands and foodstuff.

The five Nandis are; Pradosha Nandi, in the Moolastanam, Ratha Vilaku Nandi in the Second Prakaram, Kodi Kampathu Nandi in the Third Prakaram, Chinna Nandi in the fourth prakaram and the Periyar Nandi that stands in front of the Vallala Gopuram in the Fifth Prakaram.


Mattu Pongal Arunachaleswarar Temple 2015


The Gods giving darshan at Thitti Vasal Gate, Big Temple


Also on this day and unique to Tiruvannamalai, we observe the Tiruvoodal Festival. Legend has it that the Lord in answer to a promise given to Parvati appears on this holy day (Uttarayana) to dance on one foot. He says; ‘On Uttarayana holy day, I will do the dance when the sun rises.’ 

The word 'Thiru' signifies; deity, sacred, holy and wealth and the word 'Voodal' actually means 'tiff' or 'petty quarrel', and represents the friction between the male and female in a love relationship which is consciously exacerbated. The distinguishing mark of Voodal is that it should arise and stay only for a brief period and not be prolonged as its focus is the bliss when the Voodal is withdrawn. 

The poem Thirukkural says in the chapters dedicated to 'kama' which is concentrated on the relationship between man and woman and the establishment of household and children, that; 'The way to amplify bliss through desire or relationship is through voodal. That ever present bliss you can only see when the tension comes and is withdrawn. It is like salt to food – beyond a certain limit it is lost completely.' Thirukurral explains the tiff as 'creation of a tension, which when released you have a bliss that is always present. It is the Voodal that helps one focus upon that.' 

Thus Thiruvoodal is enacted by Shiva and Parvati to convey social truths to their devotees. It takes place; inside the compound of Arunachaleswarar Temple, on the streets delineating the perimeter of the Temple, and on the girivalam pathway itself; by iconic representations of Shiva and Parvati. Thiruvoodal Festival is regarded in such high esteem that one of the perimeter roads has earned the special name Thiruvoodal Street by this convention. 

To read more of this narrative please visit my website at this link here, and an earlier posting on Arunachala Grace at this link here.