2015 Karthigai Deepam Festival, Maharadham -- Trying to get it to move

Karthigai Deepam 2015. 7th Day celebrates the processon of 5 chariots. The biggest of which is the giant wooden chariot i.e. Maharadham. This year's function took place in unceasing, sheeting rain. Below is a video I uploaded this afternoon unto You Tube. 

2015 Karthigai Deepam Festival, Maharadham Karthigai Deepam 2015. 7th Day celebrates the processon of 5 chariots. The biggest of which is the giant wooden chariot i.e. Maharadham. This year's function took place in unceasing, sheeting rain. In this video, boys are jumping on levers placed under the giant back wheels of the Chariot, in order to propel it forward. The excitment and energy of the huge crowd is apparent from the audio. Late in the evening, the Maharadham (and the 4 other accompanying chariots) completed their circumambulation of Arunachaleswarar Temple. 

In this video, boys are jumping on levers placed under the giant back wheels of the Chariot, in order to propel it forward. The excitment and energy of the huge crowd is apparent from the audio. Late in the evening, the Maharadham (and the 4 other accompanying chariots) completed their circumambulation of Arunachaleswarar Temple.

To ready the Arunachala Grace earlier posting on the Maharadham Procession, go to this link here.

2015 Deepam Festival. Day Eight—Day: Lord Chandrasekhara on Horse Vahana

In the previous post, I uploaded two photos of Lord Chandrasekhara on the Horse Vahanam as observed on the morning of Day Eight of the 2015 Deepam Festival. 

The below photographs show the connection between the procession of the Horse Vahanam, and that of the Maharadham. 

Musicians accompanying the procession

The Maharadham is parked in its usual spot at the side of Car Street

After circumambulation the Horse Vahanam comes to the Maharadham, which it turns towards and faces

Horse Vahanam faces the Maharadham

Temple Priests officiating a puja at a place between the two Radhams

Temple Priests

Puja performed on the street between the two Radhams

Garland placed on the Maharadham

I hope to give more information about the esoteric signficance of this puja later in my Arunachala Mystic Blog.

A story about the Karthigai Maha Radham

There are a number of powerful sacred burial sites dedicated to Sufi saints in Tiruvannamalai, one of the most famous being that of the woman saint, Syedini Bibi. 

In 1880 the Darghar in Car Street was built by the Nawab of the time in honour of this great Sufi Saint. Although the burial site faces noisy Car Street, it is renowned for its powerful and peaceful vibrations. It is believed that both Sri Seshadri Swamigal and Sri Ramana Maharshi often sat in meditation at this place, and in more contemporary times the tomb was frequently favoured by Sri Yogi Ramsuratkumar 

Darghar on Car Street

Syedini Bibi came from the middle east in the early nineteenth century. Like many Sufis before her she landed at Nagore on the south-east coast. From there she travelled inland a few hundred kilometers to Arunachala where she settled for the rest of her life. 

Little is known about the life of this saint, however there are several famous stories connected with her tomb. 

Once such story concerns the Karthigai Festival. 

1880 Karthigai Maha Radham

The story goes that the Tiruvannamalai authorities decided to demolish the burial grounds (where Syedini Bibi was buried), in order to widen the road to more easily accommodate the Maha Radham (Big Car Chariot) during the Deepam Festival. 

In response to this proposal, many protested against disturbing the Saint’s grave, and the authorities postponed the demolition. The myth that was handed down claims that the postponement came about because during the Karthigai Festival, as the gigantic Maha Radham (Wooden Chariot) passed, one of its huge wheels accidentally knocked the side of Syedini Bibi’s tomb and the Maha Radham immediately burst into flames. 

Maharadham's New Garage

On my way to the dentist located off Sannidhi Street decided to make a quick detour to check out if the new "garage" has yet been completed for the Maharadham. The view and darshan of the Hill from this place is spectacular--can never take too many photographs!

Previously the Radhams (wooden chariots) for the Panchamoorthies (5 idols) have been covered with aluminum sheets and left on the side of Car Street. The sheer size of these enormous wooden chariots limit where they can be stored, but at last there has been a rethinking about exactly how they should be stored. In this respect the largest chariot used during the Deepam Festival i.e. the Maharadham has just been allocated a nice, new garage on Car Street. 

Spectacular new garage for the Maharadham

Posting the below photographs to show how devotees access the gigantic wooden chariot during the Deepam Festival. 

Climbing into the Maharadham during Deepam

Tunnel between the Yellow Building and Radham at Deepam

Devotees taking Deepam darshan before the Maharadham set off

4 Panchamoorthi Radhams await their own new garage

Sufi Saint Syedini Bibi

The population demographics of Tiruvannamalai and its surrounds is over 30% non Hindu. Of this percentage a large number of Muslims have been living in the area for many generations. It is known (Tiruvannamalai was under Muslim rule several times in its history) that there are a number of powerful sacred burial sites dedicated to Muslim saints in Tiruvannamalai, one of the most famous being that of the woman saint, Syedini Bibi.




Darghar in the background
of busy Car Street


In 1880 the Darghar in Car Street was built by the Nawab of the time in honour of the great woman Sufi Saint. Although this burial site faces noisy Car Street, it is renowned for its powerful and peaceful vibrations. It is believed that both Sri Seshadri Swamigal and Sri Ramana Maharshi often sat in meditation at this place, and in more contemporary times the tomb was frequently favoured by Sri Yogi Ramsuratkumar.




Darghar of Saint Syedini Bibi


Syedini Bibi came from the middle east in the early nineteenth century. Like many Sufis before her she landed at Nagore on the south-east coast. From there she travelled inland a few hundred kilometers to Arunachala where she settled for the rest of her life.





Little is known about the life of this saint, however there are two powerful famous stories connected with her tomb.

One such story is that the Tiruvannamalai authorities decided to demolish the burial grounds (where Syedini Bibi was buried), in order to widen the road to accommodate the Maharadham (Big Car Chariot) during the Deepam Festival.


Alley leading to Car Street


In response to this proposal, many protested against disturbing the Saint’s grave, and the authorities postponed the demolition. The myth that was handed down claims that during the Deepam Festival, as the gigantic wooden Chariot passed, one of its huge wheels accidentally knocked the side of Bibi’s tomb and the temple cart immediately burst into flames.



Darghar of Woman Saint Sydedini Bibi


Another story connected with this tomb is that the British (who were then rulers in India) planned to widen Car Street, in order to construct a roadway from Bangalore to Pondicherry via Tiruvannamalai. Construction of the road commenced and many tombs and graves were destroyed but when the builders reached the site of the Sufi Saint, blood poured from the grave, and onlookers reported hearing a loud voice commanding that the tomb be not disturbed.

When British Government officials came later to investigate what had occurred, legend has it that again a loud voice was heard commanding that the tomb not be disturbed. As a consequence the development of the highway was cancelled. This extraordinary circumstance attracted many British people to the tomb, which also resulted in visits of many Muslims and inspired a local Muslim family to act as guardians at the tomb. Currently the person in charge of maintaining the tomb is the sixth generation of the original family of custodians.

Maharadham - Big Chariot

To watch a short video of this year's Maharadham procession, check out the below video. Gents pull the chariot from the right, and ladies from the left.







So how does it all work? First off we have the sweet Rukku, the Temple elephant surveying the area. She precedes many of the chariot processions and activities throughout the Deepam Festival.






From early morning, devotees have lined up, in order to enter the top of the Big Chariot, so that they may take darshan of the gods Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai. To reach the Gods, devotees have to climb to the top of a connecting building and cross a tunnel that leads directly into the top of the Big Chariot.





In the below photograph, you can see the yellow building connecting to the Big Chariot and the tunnel corridor leading from one to the other.




Devotees are milling about on Car Street around the chariots. But it will be hours before the Big Chariot is ready to move.






The photographs give one an idea of the vast size of the chariot.The devotees at the top of the chariot with their backs to us, are facing the murtis and taking their darshan.





The massive chains that will be used to pull the vast vehicle are lying on the pavement ahead of the Chariot.





Gents will be pulling the chariot from the right side, and ladies from the left side.




The chariot needs help, specifically when going around corners. So to control the direction of the vehicle, wooden chocs are placed under the massive wheels, and a number of lads and young men, jump up and down on wooden levers.




The levers themselves are heavy, solid planks of wood, so to move them under the wheels, a system of ropes and pulleys has been devised.





Progress around the outside of the 26 acre perimeter of the Arunachaleswarar Temple, is very slow, and it will be late in the night when the Big Chariot has completed its circumambulation of the Big Temple.

Tiruvannamalai Traffic

This is a fun, short video giving you an idea of 'light' traffic activity on Car Street in Tiruvannamalai. Car Street is a main thoroughfare of the city which runs directly in front of Arunachaleswarar Temple, which is regarded as the centre of Tiruvannamalai. Towards the end of the short clip, the cone- shaped figures in both corners of the video are the 'garages' for the ceremonial vehicles that carry statues of the Gods during processions around the Temple at Deepam.

Traffic on Car Street