2021 Karthigai Deepam Festival: November 15, 2021—Day Six

 

 

On Day 6 of the Deepam Festival the Gods led a procession of the great Shiva Devotees, the Saiva Samaya Acharyas. Ordinarily the procession includes the 63 Nayanars, but due to the limited celebration of this year's Festival on this Day 6 of November 15, 2021, only the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas; (left to right) Tirugnasambandar, Tirunanvukkarasar (Appar), Sundarar and Manikkavasagar were acknowledged.

 

"The principal teachings of the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas is of love and surrender to God; and of service to God and godly men. Love, devotion, and service to God is the only way one can obtain His Grace. God is One and He is Shiva. Man must get over his bonds which keep him in ignorance in order that he may obtain inseparable union with Shiva through the Lord's Grace."

 

Sundaramurthi Nayanar Festival: August, 2021

 

The photos below are of the Sundaramurthi Nayanar Festival held at Arunachaleswarar Temple in the second week of August, 2021.

Sundaramurthi Nayanar flourished in the 8th century. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva and one of the Tamil Samaya Acharyas (four Tamil religious Teachers). Sundarar had the Sakhya Bhava or the attitude of a friend towards the Lord and freely demanded of the Lord whatever he wanted.

Another reason this saint is famed at Tiruvannamalai is because of his role as an emissary of Lord Siva during the Thiruvoodal Festival which is enacted at this place at the time of Pongal. To read more about this Saint, and of the Thiruvoodal Festival go to this link here.

Sundaramurthi Nayanar

Nayanars, 2nd Prakaram, Arunachaleswarar Temple

Day 5. Daytime. Deepam 2020: Arunachaleswarar Temple

While we are all grateful that a 2020 Deepam Festival is being celebrated at Tiruvannamalai, it is hoped that this year and its reduced Festival is an anomaly never to be repeated and that devotees need not be deprived in future years of the majesty and delight of the Arunachala Karthigai Mahadeepam Festival.

In this regard, just as a reminder of what the usual Festival looks like on Day 5 of this Festival, I am posting three photographs below of an earlier year's celebration of this day. First photograph is of the Lord on his Silver Elephant Vahana, the second is of the 4 Saiva Samaya Acharyas and the third photo shows students carrying the rest of the 63 Nayanars on their own individualised palanquins. 

To read more about the significance of this day, please refer to this posting in the archives of an earlier year's Deepam at this link here.

To learn more about the Nayanars, go to this link here.

 

Lord on Silver Elephant Vahana

 

Saiva Samaya Archaryas

 

 

Nayanars on Individual Palanquins

 

2017 Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Day 6. Day—Chandrasekhara on Silver Elephant: 63 Nayanars

In the festivities of the morning of the sixth day, a glorious Silver Elephant, leads a procession of the great Shiva devotees, the 63 Nayanars.

The Nayanars are remembered as a group of 63 saints (poets) of the 6th to 8th century who were devoted to Lord Shiva. It was they who influenced the Bhakti movement in Tamil Nadu. The names of the 63 saints were first compiled by Sundarar and the list was expanded by Nambiyandar Nambi during his compilation of material for the famed Tirumurai.

Out of the 63 Nayanars, the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas are remembered best of all. Those four are: Tirugnasambandar, Tirunanvukkarasar (Appar), Sundarar and Manikkavasagar.

The principal teachings of the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas is of love and surrender to God; and of service to God and godly men. That love, devotion, and service to God is the only way one can obtain His Grace. God is One and He is Shiva. That man must get over his bonds which keep him in ignorance and obtain inseparable union with Shiva through the Lord's Grace.

Lord Chandrasekhara on Silver Elephant

Lord Chandrasekhara on Silver Elephant on Car Street

Lord Vinayakar on Silver Rat Vahana

The saints being carried in Palanquins

School Children carrying the Saints in Palanquins

63 Nayanars in Palanquins, Car Street

Four Saiva Samaya Archaryas

2017 Karthigai Deepam: Arunachaleswarar Temple Preparations

Months of preparation go into making sure Arunachaleswarar Temple and Tiruvannamalai are ready to host the annual Karthigai Deepam Festival. 

The below photographs show some of the preparations undertaken at the Temple over the last few weeks. 

The Alankaram Mandapam which will be home to the God Alangarams prior to each function

Cleaning of Shrine accoutrements at Arunachaleswarar Temple

Cleaning the Bali Pitha (Sacrificial Altar) outside Siva Shrine

Cleaning base of the Dvaja Stambha (Flag Staff)

Umbrella for the God

Wooden Blocs for under the wheels of God Chariots

Preparing Stands for the 63 Nayanars

Cleaning Silver Vahanam

Cleaning and repainting Vahanas for processions during Festival

Cleaning Thers (Chariots) to be used in God Processions around the Temple streets

The huge chariots have been cleaned and painted (notice the cow under the chariot)