2016 Mahashivaratri Programme, Arunachaleswarar Temple

Monday, March 7th - Tuesday, March 8th, 2016 

During the day of Monday March 7, devotees of different satsang groups will be creating giant-sized Kolams on the floors of the Temple Compound. As is usual, the Kolams are not made from powders but from dyed salt crystals. 

Kolams made of crystal salt rock will be on Temple Compound floors

As the day progress into dusk on the evening of March 7, devotees will light clay deepam lights and place them all around the edges of the Temple Theertham. The gates of the Theertham for this reason are kept open on this day. 

Arunachaleswarar Temple (including the Siva Sannidhi and Mother’s Shrine) will also remain open for a period of 24 hours during Mahashivaratri. 

Cultural Programme and Devotional Songs: 

In the evening of March 7th, poems, devotional songs and cultural programmes will take place in front of the Mandapam outside the Rajagopuram (East Gate) of the Big Temple.

Inside the Temple at the Auditorium located in the 4th Prakaram, cultural programmes and devotional singing will take place from 6 p.m. on Monday, March 7. 

Devotees' lamps will surround Temple Theertham

Pujas and Worships: 

Special Abhishekam: 

Lakshana Archana will commence on Monday March 7, 2016 at the Siva Sannidhi, Arunachaleswarar Temple 

Night of Mahashivaratri: 

March 7-8 at 12 midnight. Commencement of the Sri Lingodbhavamurti (at back of Siva Sannidhi) 

Mahashivaratri Night Puja Programme: 

1st Kala Puja 8.30 p.m. March 7 

2nd Kala Puja 11.00 p.m. March 7 

3rd Kala Puja 2.00 a.m. March 8 

4th Kala Puja 4.00 a.m. March 8 

Photographs 2014 Mahashivaratri Big Temple

The below photographs are a short pictorial record of part of the 2014 Mahashivaratri Festival as observed at Arunachaleswarar Temple. As tradition dictates, in the daytime of Mahashivaratri (this year February 27) ladies created beautiful kolams (also known as rangolis) on the floors of the Temple Compound which depicted scenes from the history and mythology of Lord Shiva. 

Outside Unnamulai Shrine, Big Temple

I assumed that the pictures were created in coloured kolam powder, but learnt yesterday that all the kolams at the Temple were made using rock crystal salt. Found the fact surprising as always assumed that salt is regarded as inauspicious during Festivals. But this doubt was easily brushed away by the assurances of several ladies (connected with the kolams) that its just fine to use rock salt as it makes the pictures nice and shiny. Oh! well that's alright then!

Five Face Siva Kolam, Big Temple

Later on around 6 p.m. of the 2014 Mahashivaratri celebrations, the gates to the Temple tank were opened to allow devotees to place and light their deepam clay pots around the perimeter of the tank. The tank gates stayed open till about 9 p.m. But it wasn't just around the Temple Tank that one could observe the small deepam lights, as little ghee deepam pots were twinkling everywhere throughout the Temple compound.

Brahma Teertham, 2014 Mahashivaratri, Big Temple

Line waiting to enter Third Prakaram through Kili Gopuram

The Temple was packed with devotees. I arrived with friends at about eight in the evening. The devotional programmes were already underway in the open air auditorium in front of which a long and densely packed line of devotees waited in turn to climb up the stairway of the Kili Gopuram (parrot tower) and thus enter the Third Prakaram with its Annamalaiyar and Unnamulaiamman Shrines. Very tasty rice dishes were available for purchase near the auditorium and with the easy availability of drinking water, one felt very comfortable and well taken care of. 

Crowd milling around the Fourth Prakaram, Big Temple

Finally we made it into the Third Prakaram, and I was eager to view the special Lingam at the Mahila Maram Sacred Trees located at the side of the Siva Sannidhi. Four round pillars and statues of Dakshinamurthi stand close the Linga and I was disappointed that the pedestal base of the Lingam was not filled with water (as occurs during the Vasantha Utasavam Festival). As I had heard that when the Lingam pedestal is filled with water, it appears that the Lingam is floating. 

Lingam under the the sacred trees

Four Kala Pujas (see my earlier posting at this link here) would occur inside the Shiva Sannidhi during the night of Mahashivaratri. My friends and I didn't even attempt to secure access to any of the pujas. However we did walk around the First Prakaram to view the Lingodbhavamurti which is (as all Shiva Temples) located at the back of the Lord Shiva Shrine room. The puja was scheduled for midnight, and it was only 8.45 p.m. when we walked around, but already all spots facing the Lingodbhavamurti had been taken by devotees  happy to sit and wait for the commencement of the special abhishekam  scheduled to start 2 1/4 hours later.

After circumambulating the First Prakaram, we walked to the Unnamulaiamman Shrine, which was also peopled by large crowds of devotees. Many devotees were lighting ghee deepams close to the Navagraham (nine celestial bodies) Shrine. 

Near Navagraham Shrine, Unnamulaiamman Temple

2014 Mahashivaratri, Lord Shiva and Goddess with Ganesha and Murugan

During Mahashivaratri the marriage of Lord Siva is also celebrated. Below is an extract from the Vamana Purana describing the Lord in a procession with his ganas and retinue proceeding to the site of the marriage. 

“Lord Vishnu, Brahma, the deities and the Ganas were pleased to hear about Shiva's marriage. Lord Shiva went to his abode Kailash Mountain to make preparations for the marriage ceremony. 

Lord Shiva's marriage procession proceeded towards Himalaya Mountain. His appearance was quite terrifying with a tiger skin around his waist and Gorochan Tilak on his forehead. He had a garland of skulls around his neck. Snakes were coiling all around his body. His mount Vrishabh (ox) was walking in a majestic way. The marriage procession comprised of the deities, Yakshas, demons and his Ganas. Lord Vishnu had Goddess Lakshmi by his side and was mounted on Garud (eagle) while Lord Brahma was mounted on Hans (swan) . . ."

[Vamana Purana] 

Lord Siva in marriage procession

Lord Siva and Goddess Meenakshi Kolam at big Temple

If I am able to secure photographs of the Lingodbhavamurti puja, will post later on so please check back. 

Kolam

Now that we are in the midst of a celebratory season which started with the victory of Navaratri and will continue through to Karthigai Deepam in December, thought it an appropriate time to make a posting about the Kolam.

A Kolam is a design, made afresh daily, which decorates the fronts of homes in South India. This art form which is described in many ancient Sanskrit texts, is a symbol of auspiciousness. It is believed that geometric patterns and designs applied with rice flour at the entrance to a home, invites Goddess Lakshmi into the household, and drives away evil spirits. In this respect, folklore has evolved to mandate that the lines of a design must be completed so as to symbolically prevent evil spirits from entering the shapes, and thus be prevented from entering the inside of the home!

Every morning before sunrise, the floor outside a home is cleaned with water and a Kolam drawn while the surface is still damp. Occasionally, cow-dung is used on the floor as cow-dung is believed to be auspicious and also thought to have antiseptic properties, thus providing protection for the home. Kolams are also applied daily in the pooja room generally near lamps, with specific Kolams attributed to various deities.

On festive occasions, Kolam designs are more elaborate and complicated. Although Kolam (termed Rangoli in north India) is practised in most parts of India, the geometric patterns that constitute the Kolam and manner of constructing them vary from region to region.






“Crossing a threshold is a conscious event. Kolams link the private realm to communal life, hospitality to guests and passersby, the personal and familial to the divine. In this way, more than a transient art, they are a conscious science. They are a subtle bridge between the intimate home and the vast and challenging world beyond. In ancient times, wandering sadhus would enter a village with Kolams gracing the thresholds of village homes and know something of the lives of the inhabitants of each house. Abundance, hardship, aspirations were written on the earth with a few lines and dots or the absence of them.”
[Book on Kolams]


Recommended Kolam Links:

A narrative about India Floor Decoration, which explores the scriptural history of Rangoli and includes fascinating information about Kolam.

Interesting site documenting the history and evolution of Kolams in South India. In particular observations regarding women's ability to learn, memorize and easily reproduce Kolam patterns everyday.

A website exploring the fractal dimensions of Kolam design.

An elegant website with information about Kolams. Including excellent gallery of Kolam designs and interactive tutorials of how to draw Kolams.

Fascinating website with tutorials of Kolams and Rangoli and many photographs of designs.