Agnihotra Yagam – Arunachaleswarar Temple

Every year at Arunachaleswarar Temple during a specified twenty days from morning to evening between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. inside the Siva Sannidhi a suspended dripping Dharapatra (brass pot) is kept over the Lingam, from which water drops onto the Lingam, drop by drop. These twenty days correspond to when the sun is very hot and occurs over the last ten days of the month of Chiththirai and the first ten days of the month of Vaikasi. 

Homam Preparation

On the last three days of this twenty days observance, an Agnihotram is conducted at both the shrine of Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai. This year the three day Homam took place on May 25th, 26th and 27th. The Homam, which included 1008 Kalasas (water pots) ended at 10 a.m. on May 27th thereupon the Shiva Sannidhi Lingam was bathed with the sacred water of the pots. 

Flowered Vimana Procession Through Town

Coincidentally this year 2013, the Festival of the great saint Thirujnana Sambandar occurred on May 27th and in the evening of that day, darshan of Chandrasekara and Unnamulai Amman, on their flowered Vimana (chariot) observed the end of the Agni Hotram and in tandem celebrated the festival of Saiva Acharya Thirujnana Sambandar. 

Chandrasekarar and Unnamulai Amman

Even more coincidentally almost immediately after completion of the twenty day observance and Homam, Tiruvannamalai experienced abundant rain (which still continues), the first precipitation in well over two months.