2017 Karthigai Deepam at Arunachala: Programme

Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Tirukovil 

Tiruvannamalai 

Thirukarthigai Deepam Festival 2017 

Flag Hoisting 2016 Karthigai Deepam Function

20 November, 2017
Monday Night: Durgai Amman Urchavam

21 November, 2017 
Tuesday Night: Pidari Amman Urchavam

22 November, 2017 
Wednesday Night: Vinayaka Urchavam

23 November, 2017 
Thursday Morning (early):  Flag Hoisting
Morning (late): Panchamoorthy Silver Vimana procession
Night: Athigara Nandi Vahana

24 November, 2017 
Friday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Golden Surya Perai Vahanam

Night: Silver Indira Vahanam

25 November, 2017 
Saturday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Bootha Vahanam
Night: Shima Vahanam, Silver Anna Vahanam

26 November, 2017 
Sunday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Naga Vahanam
Night: Kamadhenu and Virikpaksha

27 November, 2017 
Monday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Rishabam
Night: Big Silver Rishabam

28 November, 2017 
Tuesday Morning: Elephant with 63 Nayanars
Night: Silver chariot

29 November, 2017 
Wednesday: Maharadham 

30 November, 2017 
Thursday Morning: Chandrasekhara on Horse
Evening: Pichandavar
Late Night: Big Horse

01 December, 2017
Friday Morning: Chandrasekhara on Purusha Meruga Vahanam
Night: Kailasha (Ravana) Vahanam

02 December, 2017 
Saturday Early morning: 4 a.m. Bharani Deepam 
Evening: 6 p.m. Mahadeepam 
Late Night: Golden Rishaba Vahanam 

03 December, 2017 
Sunday Night: 9 p.m. Chandrasekahra Theepal, Ayyankulam Tank

04 December, 2017 
Monday Morning: Arunachaleswarar girivalam
Night: 9 p.m. Parashakthi Theepal, Ayyankulam Tank

05 December, 2017 
Tuesday Night: Subramanian Theepal, Ayyankulam Tank

06 December 2017 
Wednesday Night: Vinayaka and Chandikeshwara Urchavam

Right Click to view Enlargement

2016 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. 

Message of the Nayanars 

“There have been many ‘intellectuals’ even in India who have looked down upon the path of Bhakti (devotion) as something inferior to Jnana (wisdom). Their short-sightedness becomes at once apparent when we study the lives of the great Four Teachers (Appar, Sundarar, Manickavachagar and Sambandar) and realise that these great Jnanis, too, were great Bhaktas who loved to visit Temples and sing the glories of the Lord. 

Love of the Lord cuts at the very root of our attachment to this world, and snaps all worldly ties, to father, mother, son, wife or relatives. As the stories of the Nayanars illustrate, the devotee is ever ready to renounce all, in favour of devotion to Lord Siva. 

Let us also never forget that in the case of all the Nayanars devotion invariably meant expansion of the heart, and, therefore, service and charity. We have to take the individual tales of the Nayanars as allegories exhorting us to rout out the inner obstacles to our Sadhana. 

If we approach these saints with faith and devotion in our hearts, we shall grasp the message they have for us. We shall also understand why they gave such a great place to externals like the sacred ash, Rudraksha, etc. These symbols remind one constantly of God: and, when they are said to remove our sins, they remove our sinful tendencies, too, by constantly reminding us of God, and keeping evil out of our mind.” 

[By: Venkatesananda] 

The Lord on his beautiful silver Elephant

Moving away from the front of the Alankaram Mandapam, and proceeding  around the mada veedhis (perimeter streets) of Arunachaleswarar Temple

Palanquins each carrying individual Nayanars

The Saiva Samaya Acharyas

Out of the 63 Nayanars, the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas; (left to right) Tirugnasambandar, Tirunanvukkarasar (Appar), Sundarar and Manikkavasagar are remembered best of all. 

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. 

Beautiful Rukku, our own Arunachala elephant, making sure that in spite of ornate, ceremonial silver elephants, she ALWAYS takes pride of place!

2016 Karthigai Deepam at Arunachala

Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Tirukovil 

Tiruvannamalai 

Thirukarthigai Deepam Festival 2016 

Arunachala Deepam Cauldron in daytime during earlier Festival

30 November, 2016 
Wednesday Night: Durgai Amman Urchavam 

1 December, 2016 
Thursday Night: Pidari Amman Urchavam 

2 December, 2016 
Friday Night: Vinayaka Urchavam 

3 December, 2016 
Saturday Morning (early): 7.15 to 8.30. Flag Hoisting 
Morning (late): Panchamoorthy Silver Vimana procession 
Night: Athigara Nandi Vahana 

4 December, 2016 
Sunday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Surya Perai Vahanam Night: Silver Indira Vahanam 

5 December, 2016 
Monday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Bootha Vahanam 
Night: Shima Vahanam 

6 December, 2016 
Tuesday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Naga Vahanam 
Night: Kamadhenu and Virikpaksha 

7 December, 2016 
Wednesday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Rishabam 
Night: Big Silver Rishabam 

8 December, 2016 
Thursday Morning: Elephant with 63 Nayanars 
Night: Silver chariot 

9 December, 2016 
Friday: Maharadham 

10 December, 2016 
Saturday Morning: Chandrasekhara on Horse 
Evening: Pichandavar 
Late Night: Big Horse 

11 December, 2016 
Sunday Morning: Chandrasekhara on Purusha Meruga Vahanam 
Night: Kailasha (Ravana) Vahanam 

12 December, 2016 
Monday Early morning: 4 a.m. Bharani Deepam 
Evening: 6 p.m. Mahadeepam 
Late Night: Golden Rishaba Vahanam 

13 December, 2016 
Tuesday Night: 9 p.m. Chandrasekahra Theepal, Ayyankulam Tank 

14 December, 2016 
Wednesday Morning: Arunachaleswarar girivalam 
Night: 9 p.m. Parashakthi Theepal, Ayyankulam Tank 

15 December, 2016 
Thursday Night: Subramanian Theepal, Ayyankulam Tank 

16 December 2016 
Friday Night: Vinayaka and Chandikeshwara Theepal 

2016 Deepam Programme in Tamil

2015 Deepam Festival. Day Eight—Early Evening: Lord Shiva as Pichandavar

On the 8th Day of Karthigai Deepam as celebrated at the Arunachaleswarar Temple, there are traditionally three different processions. The first in the morning is that of Lord Chandrashekara on the Horse Vahanam on its circumbulation and meeting of the Maharadham. The second procession on the 8th Day is that of Lord Pichandavar (which is Lord Siva in His manifestation as a beggar). The third procession, which occurs later in the night is that of the Lord on the Vahanam of a White Horse.

Lord Shiva as Pichandavar

Pichandavar (i.e. Beggar)

Beautiful detail work on Vahanam

All night processions brilliantly illuminated

Lord Shiva as Pichandavar 

One story of Lord Shiva in the form of Pichandavar (beggar) goes like this: 

Punithavathiar as Karaikal Ammaiyar was called (the only woman saint of the 63 Nayanars), was born in a Vaisya family. Her father was Danadathan. He was a wealthy virtuous merchant. He and his dutiful wife prayed to the Lord for a child, and the child the Lord blessed them with they called Punithavathy. From her childhood, Punithavathy had an intense love for Lord Siva and His bhaktas. She was married to Paramadattan, a wealthy Vaisya. Both of them were leading an ideal householder’s life. 

To read more go to an earlier posting on Arunachala Grace at this link here. 

2015 Deepam Festival. Day Six—Morning: Elephant with 63 Nayanars

2015 Karthigai Deepam Arunachala Programme

Below is the programme for the 2015 Karthigai Deepam which will be celebrated at Arunachaleswarar Temple. The dates for the 2015 Festival are Friday, November 13, 2015 to Sunday, November 29, 2015. 

The date for Bharani and Mahadeepam is Wednesday, November 25, 2015. 

Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Tirukovil Tiruvannamalai

Thirukarthigai Deepam Festival 2015

13 November, 2015 
Friday Night: Durgai Amman Urchavam 

14 November, 2015 
Saturday Night: Pidari Amman Urchavam 

15 November, 2015 
Sunday Night: Vinayaka Urchavam 

Right Click Programme for Full Enlargement

16 November, 2015 

Monday Morning (early): Flag Hoisting 

Morning (late): Panchamoorthy Silver Vimana procession 

Night: Athigara Nandi Vahana 

17 November, 2015 

Tuesday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Surya Perai Vahanam 

Night: Indira Vehanam 

18 November, 2015 

Wednesday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Bootha Vahanam 

Night: Shima Vahanam 

19 November, 2015 

Thursday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Naga Vahanam 

Night: Kamadhenu and Virikpaksha 

20 November, 2015 

Friday Morning: Chandrasekhara in Rishabam 

Night: Big Silver Rishabam 

21 November, 2015 

Saturday Morning: Elephant with 63 Nayanars 

Night: Silver chariot 

22 November, 2015 

Sunday: Maharadham 23 November, 

23 November, 2015 

Monday Morning: Chandrasekhara on Horse 

Evening: Pichandavar 

Late Night: Big Horse 

24 November, 2015 

Tuesday Morning: Chandrasekhara on Purusha Meruga Vahanam 

Night: Kailasha (Ravana) Vahanam 

*********************** oOo ***********************

25 November, 2015
Wednesday Morning: Bharani Deepam 4 a.m.
Evening: Maha Deepam 6 p.m.

*********************** oOo ***********************

26 November, 2015 

Thursday Morning: Gods Arunachala Girivalam 

Evening: Theepal Chandrasekhara 

27 November, 2015 

Friday Night: Parashakti Theepal 

28 November, 2015 

Saturday Night: Subrahmanian Theepal 

29 November, 2015 

Sunday Night: Chandikashwara 

Postings on my Arunachala Blogs from Tuesday, November 4, 2014 to Wednesday, December 31, 2014

This year I spent a lot of time on Deepam postings for Arunachala Grace and absolutely neglected my other Blogs: Arunachala Mystic, Arunachala Birds, Arunachala Land and Arunachala Satsang and website Arunachala Samudra. However just because I have neglected postings on my other sites doesn’t mean that I don’t have lots of fascinating narratives to upload . . . so keep checking in to all of the above. 

Regarding the Deepam postings, sometimes there was a delay in preparing photographs for each day’s functions – thus the list below which appears on Arunachala Grace, is not completely in chronological order. In the coming month, the 2014 Arunachala Mahadeepam calendar and pictorial galleries will be uploaded onto my website Arunachala Samudra. In that upload day and night functions of each day of the 2014 Karthigai Mahadeepam will be in the correct order. 

Anyhow to finish off 2014 rightly, below are links and short extracts of postings on my various Arunachala Blogs from Tuesday, November 4, 2014 to Wednesday, December 31, 2014. 

Best wishes to all the readers of my Blogs and Website for a joy-filled, auspicious 2015. 

 

Arunachala Grace 

Annamalai Swami Quotes -- Advaita app: Narrative on life of Annamalai Swami and link to an app connected with this great Saint. 

Pradosham Arunachaleswarar Temple -- December 20, 2014: Photographs of Pradosham at the Big Temple on December 20, 2014.

Arunachala Deepam Cauldron Puja: Puja on the Deepam Cauldron at the end of the 2014 Karthigai Deepam celebrations.

Karthigai Deepam Cauldron back to Temple: Photographs of the Cauldron coming back down Arunachala to the Big Temple.

2014 Deepam at Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram: Photographs of a very nice Deepam display created by Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram.

Rukku Goes on Vacation: As is becoming customary, at the end of Karthigai Deepam, our precious Rukku who is the Arunachaleswarar Temple elephant, goes on a 48 day rejuvenation camp to the forest.

Photographs -- Arunachala Karthigai Mahadeepam: December 5, 2014 Wonderful set of photographs of the night of 2014 Karthigai Deepam. 

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Nine—Night. Kailasha (Ravana) Vahanam: Kailasha (Ravana) or Ravananugraha-murti ("form showing favour to Ravana") is a benevolent aspect of Lord Siva who is depicted seated on his abode Mount Kailash with the Goddess Parvati while the rakshasa Ravana tries to shake the mountain.

Deepam Festival. Day Nine—Morning: Chandrasekhara on Purusha Muni Vahanam: Chandrasekhara on Purusha Muni Vahanam. Legend of Purusha Kapila Muni. 

Day 4 Theepal - Sri Chandikeswar. Deepam Festival December 9, 2014: Fourth and final day of the Theepal observances at the Ayyankulam Tank and part of the festivities surrounding the Arunachala Karthigai Festival.

On the Streets -- 2014 Arunachala Karthigai Deepam Festival: Photographs of some of the sights at Tiruvannamalai during the 2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival.

Day 3 Theepal - Lord Subramanya: Deepam Festival December 8, 2014. Third night of Thirthotsavam (i.e. Water Festival) Lord Subramanya (with his two wives) was taken out on a float on the Ayyankulam Tank.

Day 2 Theepal - Parashakti: Deepam Festival December 7, 2014. Goddess Parashakti was taken out on a float on the Ayyankulam Tank located in front of the Arunagirinathar Temple.

Lord Arunachaleswarar performs Karthigai Girivalam: Traditionally after Karthigai Mahadeepam Lord Arunachaleswarar performs girivalam (pradakshina) of Arunachala.

Day 1 Theepal - Sri Chandrasekaran: Deepam Festival December 6, 2014 The last of the celebratory observances during Karthigai Festival is Thirthotsavam which literally means “water festival”. 

Photographs, Video 2014 Arunachala Karthigai Mahadeepam: More photographs and video of the 2014 Karthigai Deepam celebrated at Arunachala. 

Cow Festival 2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival Tiruvannamalai: Wonderful pictorial representation of the annual Cow Festival celebrated at Tiruvannamalai during the Karthigai Festival.

Arunachala Karthigai Mahadeepam -- December 5, 2014: Photographs of Mahadeepam at Arunachaleswarar Temple, significance of Ardhanarishvara worshipped at this time. Narrative of function by Swami Abhisktananda 1970.

Bharani Deepam 2014: Photograph of the flame that will light the 2014 Karthigai Deepam on top of Sacred Arunachala

2014 Arunachala Karthigai -- Bharani Deepam: Narrative describing the function and significance of the Bharani Deepam.

Festival of Lights: Photographs of lamps of every description available for sale in the steets around Arunachaleswarar Temple. 

Deepam Puja at Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple: Puja of the Goddess at Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple the day before 2014 Mahadeepam.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Eight—Night: Arunachaleswarar Horse Vahanam. In Hindu iconography, positive aspects of the vahana (vehicle) are often emblematic of the deity that it carries. Explanation of the horse as vahanam.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Eight—Afternoon: Pichandavar Lord Shiva in aspect of Pichandavar (beggar) and a story about a legend of this aspect. 

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Eight—Morning: Chandrasekarar on Horse Vahanam God on his horse vahanam visits the Maha Radham which has returned to its permanent spot (near the Temple on Car Street) from its previous day's Temple circumambulation.

Carrying 2014 Karthigai Deepam pot up Arunachala: Photographs of men from the fishing caste carrying Cauldron up Hill and retelling of the legend that gave this caste the honour of charge of the Cauldron.

Puja with Rukku for 2014 Arunachala Karthigai Mahadeepam Cauldron: Puja done early morning on the 2014 Arunachala Deepam cauldron before it is carried up the Hill. 

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Seven—Full Day. Maharadham: Spectacular photographs of the procession of the huge wooden Chariot around the perimeter of Arunachaleswarar Temple.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Four—Night: Karpavirutcham and Kamadhenu Vahanams: One of the most popular of the processions during the Deepam Festival at Arunachala, is that of the Kamadhenu, the wish fulfilling cow, and the Kalpavriksha (also known as Karpavirutcham), the wish fulfilling tree. Both of which emphasis the wish fulfilling aspect of Arunachala. 

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Six—Night: Silver Chariot: Beautiful photographs (click to enlarge) of the night procession of the Lord on His Silver Chariot.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Six—Morning. Elephant with 63 Nayanars: A glorious Silver Elephant leads a procession of the great Shiva devotees, the 63 Nayanars.

Live TV coverage and online streaming video 2014 Karthigai Deepam: Links to live TV and online streaming videos of the lighting of the 2014 Deepam.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Five—Night: Big Silver Rishabam: Big Silver Rishba with beautiful narrative by Swami Abhishekananda, 1970.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Five—Day Chandrasekhara in Rishabam: Photographs of Chandrasekhara in Rishabam (bull) Vahanam. Click photos to enlarge.

2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival -- Cultural Programmes: Photographs of the cultural programme during the 2014 Karthigai Deepam celebrations.

Crowd Scenes 2014 Karthigai Deepam, Arunachala: Sequence of crowd photographs taken during the early days of the 2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Four—Day: Naga Vahanam Procession of Chandrasekhara and Naga Vahanam

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Three-Night. Shima Vahanam Simha (lion): A creature that represents lordly power in general and lordly power of wild beasts in particular. 

Deepam Festival. Day Three-Day. Bootha Vahanam. Lord Chandrasekhara on the Bootha Vahanam procession.

Deepam Festival. Day Two—Night: Lord Shiva on Indira Vahanam who as God of thunder and rain and a great warrior is a symbol of courage and strength. 

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Two—Morning: Surya Perai Vaghanam Photographs of morning procession of the Lord on Surya Perai Vahanam.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day One—Evening: Adhikara Nandi Vahana Procession of Siva with his vahana of Adhikara Nandi – aspect of Nandi in the form of a bull-head human standing on two legs.

Day One 2014 Deepam Festival -- Panchamoorthy Silver Vimana procession: This procession followed the flag hoisting ceremony marking the beginning of the 2014 Karthigai Deepam.

Flag Hoisting, 2014 Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Flag Hoisting ceremony at Arunachaleswarar Temple took place, marking the first day of the 2014 Deepam Festival at Arunachala.

Vinayagar Ursavam—November 25, 2014: Celebration in evening at Arunachaleswarar Temple of the Vinayagar Ursavam.

Pidari Ursavam, 2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival: Pidari Ursavam was observed at Shrine. This Goddess is an aspect of the ferocious Goddess in a rural setting and regarded as being a consort of Siva through being an aspect of Kali. 

Durgai Ursavam—November 23, 2014: Reason for the unique connection with the Goddess at Durga Amman Temple to the Karthigai Festival

2014 Karthigai Deepam -- Temple Preparations: Last touches of preparation at Arunachaleswarar Temple for the upcoming 2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival. 

2014 Karthigai Temple -- Arunachaleswarar Temple Illumination: Beautiful photograph of the illuminated Temple during Mahadeepam. Click to enlarge.

Take a Virtual Tour of Arunachaleswarar Temple: Links of virtual tours of Arunachaleswarar Temple and some of its shrines. 

Pradosham November 19, 2014: Photographs of the recently observed Pradosham at Arunachaleswarar Temple on Wednesday November 19, 2014.

2014 Major Karthigai Deepam Functions: Major functions with photographs that will be enjoyed over the 2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival.

2014 Deepam Preparations Underway: Photographs of spring cleaning at the Arunachaleswarar Temple. 

2014 Arunachala Deepam Preparations: Photographs and preparation for Deepam with illuminations and new Theepal.

Significance of Rice Puja: During the month of Aippasi on Ashwini Star, as declared by Lord Shiva puja is performed with cooked rice and rice food items. 

Pradosham -- Tuesday November 4, 2014: Photographs were taken on Pradosham as observed at Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai.

New Arunachala Blog: New Blog starts authored by an Australian lady (Apeetha Arunagiri) who lives in India each year from July to December

Sadhus and Sannyasins at Raghavendra Shrine: Arunachala Feeding of sadhus at Sri Raghavendra Shrine, Girivalam Roadway.

2014 Karthigai Deepam Arunachala Programme: Arunachaleswarar Temple Programme for 2014 Karthigai Deepam.

  

Arunachala Mystic 

Shirdi Sai Baba at Arunachala: Beautiful photographs of the Shirdi Sai Baba shrines at Arunachala. Narrative entitled ‘Complete surrender to Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi.’

Meeting of Ramana Maharsi and Paramahansa Yogananda: Information about the meeting of these two great saints.

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Eight—Afternoon: Pichandavar

Lord Shiva as Pichandavar 

One story of Lord Shiva in the form of Pichandavar (beggar) goes like this: 

Punithavathiar as Karaikal Ammaiyar was called (the only woman saint of the 63 Nayanars), was born in a Vaisya family. Her father was Danadathan. He was a wealthy virtuous merchant. He and his dutiful wife prayed to the Lord for a child, and the child the Lord blessed them with they called Punithavathy. From her childhood, Punithavathy had an intense love for Lord Siva and His bhaktas. She was married to Paramadattan, a wealthy Vaisya. Both of them were leading an ideal householder’s life. 

One day Paramadattan sent two mangoes to his house. Punithavathy kept them safely so that she could serve her husband with them at meal-time. In the meantime, a Siva Yogi (in the form of Pichandavar i.e. Lord Shiva as beggar Avatar) appeared before her hungry and completely exhausted. Punithavathy worshipped him and offered bhiksha. As she had nothing to give except the mangoes, she gave one to the guest. At midday Paramadattan returned to his home. His wife served him with one mango, which he so enjoyed that he asked for the other. In a state of turmoil, his wife appealed to the Lord for help. 

When she finished her prayer, mysteriously a mango fell onto the palm of her hand. She gave it her husband. He noted that it was exceptionally sweet and asked her to tell him from where she got it—as he was quite sure it was not the mango he had sent. Punithavathy told him the truth. Paramadattan, however, would not believe this and challenged her to produce another. She prayed again to the Lord and another mango appeared on her palm—which she gave to her husband. But, at once it disappeared from his hand. He was astounded and finally understood his wife’s greatness. He felt that it was a great sin to live with her as her husband. On the pretext of going to a foreign country for trade, he sailed with a ship load of goods. On return, he established himself in a big city in the Pandyan kingdom, married a Vaisya girl and lived happily. He had a daughter by her who he named Punithavathy, after his first wife. 

Punithavathy’s relatives came to know of her husband’s whereabouts and took her there in a palanquin. When Paramadattan heard that Punithavathy was coming to him, he, with his second wife and child, went forward, and fell at Punithavathy’s feet. When the people demanded an explanation, he revealed that he regarded her, not as his wife, but as a Goddess. Punithavathy understood his mental condition, and prayed to the Lord: ‘In that case, Oh Lord, deprive me of my present physical charm and let me have a demoniacal form.’ Her prayer was immediately granted and her charming body was transformed into a skeleton. 

She then went on a pilgrimage to Kailasa. Feeling that it would be a great sin to place her foot on such sacred grounds, she made the last part of the journey on her head. Goddess Parvati was surprised to see Punithavathy’s strange form and her wonderful devotion. Lord Siva told her of Ammaiyar’s greatness. When she went near Him, Lord Siva welcomed her with extreme love and granted her a boon. She fell at His Feet, and prayed: ‘Oh Lord of Mercy, give me sincere, pure, unalloyed, eternal and overflowing devotion unto You. I want no more birth. If, however, I have to take birth here, grant me that I should never forget You. Whenever You dance, I must be at Your feet singing Your praise. This is my only wish.’ Lord Siva granted the boon and asked her to proceed to Tiruvalangadu to witness His dance. She went to that place and spent her life singing the praise of Lord Siva. 

A famous festival is celebrated at Karaikal, Pondicherry State which is known as Mangani (Mango) Festival in which mangoes are thrown onto the street in front of the route Lord Pichandavar (avatar of Shiva) will take in his procession during the Festival 

2014 Deepam Festival. Day Six—Morning: Elephant with 63 Nayanars

In the festivities of the morning of the sixth day, a glorious Silver Elephant, (notice the sugar cane in its mouth) leads a procession of the great Shiva devotees, the 63 Nayanars.

Glorious Silver Elephant

Lord Arunachaleswarar on the Silver Elephant

Procession starting on Car Street around the perimeter streets of Temple

On both sides of the below photograph, one can see individual palanquins of the 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 that 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.

Message of the Nayanars

“There have been many ‘intellectuals’ even in India who have looked down upon the path of Bhakti (devotion) as something inferior to Jnana (wisdom). Their short-sightedness becomes at once apparent when we study the lives of the great Four Teachers (Appar, Sundarar, Manickavachagar and Sambandar) and realise that these great Jnanis, too, were great Bhaktas who loved to visit Temples and sing the glories of the Lord.

Love of the Lord cuts at the very root of our attachment to this world, and snaps all worldly ties, to father, mother, son, wife or relatives. As the stories of the Nayanars illustrate, the devotee is ever ready to renounce all, in favour of devotion to Lord Siva.

Let us also never forget that in the case of all the Nayanars devotion invariably meant expansion of the heart, and, therefore, service and charity. We have to take the individual tales of the Nayanars as allegories exhorting us to rout out the inner obstacles to our Sadhana.

If we approach these saints with faith and devotion in our hearts, we shall grasp the message they have for us. We shall also understand why they gave such a great place to externals like the sacred ash, Rudraksha, etc. These symbols remind one constantly of God: and, when they are said to remove our sins, they remove our sinful tendencies, too, by constantly reminding us of God, and keeping evil out of our mind.” 

[By: Venkatesananda]

* * * * * * * *

Out of these 63 Nayanars, the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas; (left to right) Tirugnansambandar, Tirunanvukkarasar (Appar), Sundarar and Manikkavasagar are remembered best of all.

The Saiva Samaya Acharyas

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.