We stopped at the Perumal Koyil, to find a homa kaalam for the Davanotsavam on-going. Ramanan bhattacharya was alone in the yagasala, reading verses from a book. Sekar mama had told us (after the Narasimhar abhishekam) that the 1st homam kaalam for the puja would start in the evening–we should have returned for it, as that was the formal beginning of this utsavam.
Another priest joins eventually, but there is hardly anyone else around. When he was done, he spoke to us for a little while about the differences between different utsava forms: Brahmotsavam for the well being of the town, Pavitrotsavam for prayaschittam, Damanotsavam for cooling the body of Perumal in this hottest of seasons – each one to create a certain anubhavam/experience and still others to teach, instruct and direct. He spent a lot of time speaking about the “satyam” of different communities – and the practice of measuring paddy in front of Perumal in Srirangam (Nel Alavu or Nel Alavu Sevai) to keep the paddy distributor honest & of the loss of these functions resulting in Brahmins leaving for IT jobs and others claiming the role and function of the barber, washerman etc. I didn’t think this a defence of caste/community divisions as much as an erosion of truths – which the utsavams were meant to reinforce.
But we didn’t press him on the Davanotsavam, which we should have because what, really, is the cooling of Perumal’s body with marikozhunthu (there’s a big pile of it in the yagasala) meant to achieve? But this is also agni nakshatram time and this explanation abounds even in the Angalamman and Mariamman temples, ritually cooling the ugra-forms is not unusual, so we let it be unexplored. Big mistake, as we’ll eventually learn.
Note: Davanam/ Marikozhunthu is what we all know this Artemesia species as, but in the original Sanskrit it is Damana or Damanam–the word is from the root DAMA or to subdue. More on this later.
At the conclusion of the Damanotsavam is a veethi ula or street procession. Arun and I watch this a bit together at about 845pm, running from one Chithirai Pournami event to another – 1st time seeing this on Mission st. So there’s one ul-purappadu before leaving for the streets, and one more upon return, followed by the usual Saattrumurai. There are davanam/damana garlands as part of the alankaram, but nothing outstanding or out of the ordinary.