Thiruvoodal Festival 2021: Arunachala Circumambulation: Chinnakadai Street

 

The Lord during this holy festival of Thiruvoodal, continues his circumambulation of Arunachala ever moving closer to Arunachaleswarar Temple and his Goddess, Parvati. The photos below are of the Lord stopping on Chinnakadai Street to give darshan to devotees gathered at the Kamakshi Temple, Durgaiamman Temple, Shirdi Sai Baba Mandapam and the Hanuman Temple. To learn about the unique Thiruvoodal Festival go to this link here. 

 

Shirdi Sai Baba Mandapam

 

 

Thiruvoodal Festival 2021: Gods Circumambulate Arunachala

 

Further to the previous post, to read about this unique Thiruvoodal festival and details of the "quarrel" between the Divine couple go to this link here. The quarrel enacted on the mada vedhi street, results in an implacable Parvati refusing to continue to talk with Shiva. She re-enters Arunachaleswarar Temple without him. In order to placate Parvati and as night is approaching, the Lord who has agreed to circumambulate Arunachala, turns away from the Big Temple and spends the night at Sri Kumara Koil on Thirumanjana Street. The next morning he starts on his Arunachala circumambulation. On his way around the Hill, the Lord stops at the Asta Lingams, Temples and Shrines to offer his Blessings to devotees.

 

 

Pongal 2016 Gods Girivalam

There are two times Lord Siva perform girivalam of Arunachala each year. Those times are during the Karthigai Deepam Festival and the Pongal Festival. As well as a particular esoteric significance attached to the Girivlams at both those times, another reason for the circumambulation is for the Lord to give old and infirm devotees who live around Arunachala His darshan. 

Preparing the Lord for girivalam

Lord Arunachaleswarar ready for girivalam

Thiruvoodal Festival -- Pongal 2016

I have gone into greater detail of this Festival on my website Arunachala Samudra at the link dedicated to the Thiruvoodal Festival. Please also visit an earlier posting on this “Divine Quarrel” on Arunachala Grace at this link here. 

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The Thiruvoodal Festival is celebrated in the month of Thai during Pongal. Legend has it that the Lord in answer to a promise given to Parvati appears during 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 drama re-enacted on Tiruvannamalai Streets

The actual staging of the Divine Quarrel is re-enacted on the streets, with one of the madaveedhi streets actually named Thiruvoodal Street in celebration of this Divine Drama.

The Gods of the Quarrel

After their quarrel, Lord Shiva performs girivalam and gives his blessings to devotees during his circumambulation of the Hill.

Maruvoodal 

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 the Temple

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?’ 

Outside the Siva Sannidhi

‘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 starts the dance, Parvati forgets everything and opens the door. 

Their reunion is complete.

Thiruvoodal Festival 2009

An important festival connected with Arunachala occurs during the time of Pongal and is known as the Thiruvoodal Festival. This Festival is celebrated on January 16th and is ennacted 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/Parvati in order to convey moral and social truths to their devotees.

Photographs of 2008 Festival

The word 'Voodal,' means 'petty quarrel' or 'tiff' and emissaries are employed by both of the Divine Couple to convey messages between the deities and participate in ‘brokering a deal’ between them.

Click to enlarge

To find out more about this Festival and the legends associated with it check out this earlier link here

Arunachala Grace News, February 2008

This day, the February issue of Arunachala Grace News was sent direct to subscribers email inboxes. The issue includes a narrative and explanation of the Thiruvoodal Festival, an important Festival at Arunachala but hitherto mostly unknown to non-Tamil speakers as a result of lack of availability of information in English. There are also interesting narratives on Dakshinamurti, the relevance of 'colour' in our daily lives, a delightful short story entitled, 'A priest who worshipped luck,' which explores the adage; 'A fool's curse can be a wise man's blessing!' and an essay on 'Life Purpose'. Our indigenous bird and plant/fruit of the month; are the Brahminy Kite and the ayurvedic and health properties of the versatile Coconut. As usual we have a section on 'Arunachala Tidbits', inspiration and poems.

For a free subscription to this monthly Newsletter, please go to the facility at the lefthand margin of this website frontpage.