Thiruvoodal Festival 2014, Pongal

For a full narrative of this Festival please visit my website Arunachala Samudra at this link here. 

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that it should arise and stay only for a brief period and not be prolonged as its focus is the bliss when the Voodal is withdrawn.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 That ever present bliss you can only see when the tension comes and is withdrawn.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.

Tiff between Gods on Thiruvoodal Street, perimeter Arunachaleswarar Temple

In order to placate Goddess Parvati after their tiff (thiruvoodal) and as night is approaching, Shiva agrees to circumambulate Arunachala. During this circumambulation, he meets Bhringi Rishi and grants him liberation which enrages Parvati who is angry with the sage for his refusal to worship her. Parvati’s anger, creates maya (Maya Swarupa), and from that maya emerge thieves who strip Shiva of his ornaments and clothes, whilst he is performing pradakshina. This stripping of Shiva is actually yearly enacted at the same spot (during Voodal Festival) upon the idol that is being carried around the Hill. 

Shiva explains to Parvati (through his emissary Sundarar) that, to satisfy the desire of devotees, he has taken a vow to appear in the form in which he is worshipped. In accordance with that vow he has given darshan to Bringi. He further tells his emissary Sundarar to convey to Parvati; 

‘My darling you know Shakti can never be separated from Shiva in just the way the mud pot can never be separated from the mud. You can’t say, “Give the pot without all that other stuff!” You cannot have the form just like that. You know it my dear, that Shiva-Shakti can never be separated, so in accordance with the understanding of devotees, I am appearing in this form.’ 

‘Sundarar please explain to Parvati so that she will reduce this tiff.’

 

Story of Bringi’s maya

“Sage Bringi considered that Shiva’s Grace is the ultimate source for existence. He was an ardent votary of Lord Shiva to the exclusion of any deity in the worship including Parvati! He refused to worship Shakti, a woman. Even during his daily worship, he would circumambulate only the Lord ignoring Mother Shakti, with a flashing spark of arrogance.

Parasakthi and Sage Bringi at Hill Temple

The divine couple wanted to enlighten the sage and hence assumed a unique form sharing his body with Parvati. The couple took the form of Ardhanarishvara and stood unified inseparable to every atom. Even then the egoistic sage took the form of a bee (Bringa is Sanskrit for Bee and the sage came to be called Bringi because he once became a bee) and tried to pierce through the body of the Lord so that he could go around only the Shiva part. 

In every human body the static force of Shiva constitutes the bone and the skin, and the dynamic force of Shakti triggers the blood and flesh. Goddess Shakti, being the power as the name indicates, pulled out her energy from Bringi's body. Now he was a mere skeleton and was even unable to stand. The Lord pacified Parvati and gave the sage one more leg to stand. The sage soon realized his folly and understood that life becomes dynamic only by the blending of both grace and force which are not contradictory but complementary to each other.”

Lord Shiva circumambulates Arunachala

When Lord Shiva completes his pradakshina he returns to Arunachaleswarar Temple early the next morning. He wishes to have reunion with his consort. This part of the Festival is known as Maruvoodal. The point of the Maruvoodal myth is to show the world that even a Celestial Couple has differences between them. But in the end there should only be reunion, even at the cost of a loss in finances which is represented by the loss of the jewels the night previously. 

Returning to his residence, Shiva knocks at the door but it has been bolted by Parvati. Lord Shiva asks, 

‘Oh my darling why have you locked the door?’ 

‘Sir after we came to an understanding still you went without me. And see now look you have lost everything there is no ornament or clothes. Not, only that but you went and gave darshan to all kinds of people. So, I am now requesting you must establish your manliness to me and retrieve everything that is lost and give the special one-legged dance.’ 

Shiva as Nataraja performs his Cosmic Dance

Shiva starts the Nataraj dance, Parvati forgets everything and opens the door. 

Shiva and Parvati together again in Temple

Walking Barefoot

Probably because I am so used to taking off my shoes and walking barefoot in sacred places, I hadn’t considered significant additional reasons (other than reverence) for walking barefoot whilst performing Arunachala girivalam. So was very interested to recently read an article about the health benefits accrued from ‘grounding’ by making a barefoot connection to earth.

Below I reproduced a short extract from ‘The Healing Benefits of Walking Barefoot’

“Have you ever wondered why it felt so wonderful to fall sleep on the sand, or lying on the earth looking up at the clouds? Do you notice how different you feel when you sleep on the ground under the stars?

Apparently you were experiencing the flow of the earth’s electric energy connecting to your physical body, which has been scientifically proven to promote healing and create a deep sense of well-being within us. You simply connect your bare feet directly to the earth and enjoy the organic healing benefits.

Our modern lifestyle has separated us from connecting to the subtle but ever-present energy that is on the earth’s surface. Many studies have been done that confirm the healing benefits of direct connection to the earth and some believe that the health benefits derived from this ‘earth connection’ may be equally as important as the Vitamin D we obtain from the sun

Throughout history cultures around the world have honored our connection to the earth. In Ayurveda it is called Prana and in traditional Chinese Medicine Qi or Chi. Native American tribal leader Ota Kte writes about how the old people of his Lakota Sioux tribe came to love the soil. They felt her mothering power and were soothed, strengthened, cleansed and healed by sitting or walking barefoot on her surface.

Research has shown significant improvements in inflammation-related disorders, chronic pain, sleep disorders, low energy, high stress, muscle tension, headache relief, hormonal and menstrual symptoms, protection from electromagnetic fields etc., by direct daily contact with the earth.”

It has been often stated that one of the benefits of walking around Arunachala, is the value of breathing in the scents of the rare, health giving herbs found on the slopes of the Hill. So if walking barefoot on earth is beneficial how incalculably more beneficial would it be to walk barefoot on the sanctified earth of Arunachala?

Ramana Maharshi would often tell his devotees that when he talked of Arunachala his words were meant to be taken literally and not figuratively.

In the Skanda Purana (Chapter 9 – The Efficacy of the Circumambulation of Arunachala’) verse 35 reads:

“If a person takes even a step by way of circumambulation, the entire earth is sanctified by coming into contact with the dust of his feet.”