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RITUAL CYCLES AND TEMPLE
FESTIVALS
During the year, according to the
progression of the sun through the twelve signs of the
zodiac, and in interaction with the monthly cycle of the
moon, the temple celebrates many different festivals for the
different deities that reside in the complex. The
two main festivals though are the two great Chariot
Festivals, performed for the presiding deity, Shiva
Nataraja. As all other temples officiate only one chariot
festival for the presiding deity, this is one more
characteristic that sets this temple apart from
others.
The more important of the two is
performed at midwinter, in the month of Margari in the Tamil
calendar. That is between the middle of December and the
middle of January of the Western calendar. The festival is
called Margari Tiruvadirai, the holy star
Arudra in the month Margari, after the star under which this
festival takes place.
The second festival is called Ani
Tirumanjanam. It is celebrated at the time of mid-summer,
between the middle of June and the middle of July. It is
officiated under the star Uttara Phalguni. The dates of the
festivals are calculated according to the lunar
calendar, so the actual dates in the Western calendar vary
every year.
The festival lasts eleven days and
give the participants a spiritual experience through visual
impact. The progress of the daily processions is designed as
a visual yoga. The festival begins with the flag hoisting
ceremony, performed in the early morning of
the first day. After due invocation and the chanting of
mantras by the Deekshithars, the banner of Shiva, displaying
his vahana or vehicle, the divine bull Nandi, is hoisted on
the flag mast in front of the Sabha, situated just in the
third courtyard.
In the evening of the same day the
first procession is taken out of the Panca Murti, the five
deities. The main deity in the procession is Somaskanda,
Shiva with Uma, his consort, and the baby Skanda, or Murugan,
their second son. The second deity is Devi, the goddess. The
third is Skanda as mature god with his two Shaktis or wives.
The fourth deity is Ganesha, Shiva’s first son, with the
elephant face. And the fifth is Chandikeshvara. Though a
human birth, such a devotee of Shiva that he attained
liberation and semi-divine status, because of the Lord’s
grace.
This first day the murtis proceed
without vahanas or vehicles. Every procession is repeated
the following morning.
The second day Somaskanda’s vehicle
is the Moon.
The third day the main murti is
seated in the Sun.
The fourth day Shiva is Bhutapati,
the Lord of the Demons and the Elements.
The fifth day Shiva is seated on
Nandi, the divine bull, but actually his vehicle that day is
the gopuram, the temple tower, which is above him during
this procession.
The sixth day Shiva’s vehicle is
the elephant, a reminder that he overcame the evil power
that had taken the form of an elephant.
The seventh day Shiva, his consort
Uma and the baby Skanda are seated on Mount Kailasa, the
holy mountain which is his throne. It shows the ten-headed
demon Ravana as having been subdued by Shiva, when Ravana
tried to shake the mountain, to get his way before the Lord.
On the eighth day of the festival
Shiva appears as Bhikshatana, the Mendicant who caused such
havoc among the Rishis and their wives of the Daruvanna. His
begging bowl is stretched out toward us, begging us to give
up our attachments and selfishness.
Then, on the ninth day we reach the
highlight of the festival. The murti of Nataraja himself,
and of Parvati Devi are brought from the sanctum and carried
on the shoulders of the Deekshithars and the devotees to the
great chariots that have been made ready, and await them in
the East Car Street. The chariots are pulled by the public
around the four car streets of the city in a festive mood.
An event that takes almost the whole
day.
In the evening the images or murtis
are again taken on the shoulders of the devotees, and are
carried to the Hall of Thousand Pillars. There during the
night from approximately 2.30 in the early morning till just
before sunrise, a holy ablution or Abhishekam is
performed.
The following morning all can see
the Lord and Goddess dancing together as they are brought
back to the sanctum.
The eleventh day of the festival is
characterized as ‘carnival’. The five murtis are taken in
the procession in a special palanquin, decorated with
flowers and glass beads. Thus the festival is concluded in a
festive and relaxed mood. |
