The patrikai mentions: Vigneswara puja, Vastu Shanti, Mrtsangrahanam, Ankurarpanam, Yagasala 1st kaala yaga puja, Purnahuti and Deeparadhanai.
7pm – Just as Arun is about to enter the temple, a host of priests emerge with various thattus and a kalasa. Accompanied by thavil and nadaswaram, they move to the sthalavriksham for an aradhanai. It is a surprise to find the sacred tree in a remote corner, tucked behind the thronging shoe-stand.
The host soon goes back into the temple to prepare for the Shankhabhishekam.
712pm – The stage has the usual panca-Vinayakas at the back, with a homa-kundam in the centre. Right behind the homa-kundam, on a platform, are two conches – one beautiful large white conch with a silver-capped tip, and an even larger conch that is entirely covered by a silver kavacham. The other smaller conches are prepared and kept on the right corner of the stage. A small carpet is laid down for the ubhayakara sankalpam in front of the utsava stage. The rest of the crowd is kept behind by barricades. The man sitting for the sankalpam alongside his wife turns out to be the Maintenance Officer of the temple. Holding an orange in one hand and sacred water in the other, the two are made to repeat chants. The sankalpam concludes with the declaration of the Sahasrashankhabhishekam” that is to begin. Simultaneously, there is a puja offered to a mandala on the floor, quite a distance ahead of the ubhayakaras.
730pm – One priest chants various mantras, in sync with which three other priests, sitting cross-legged, offer pushparchanai. For one instance, the flower is held above the head, then touched to the forehead, heart and both knees, followed by mudras and movements, before tossing flowers into the air. These gestures and hand-movements differ for different mantrams and are all fascinating to watch.
743pm – other on-stage preparations ongoing on and around the shankhas. The ritual practice here seems extensive.
The puja can be watched on this livestream