We happened to be at the Vedapuriswara Koyil this morning, and noticed the ongoing preparations of an all-utsavars-abhishekam. The patrikai did not include this, but we were lucky to be present at the time – or rather exceedingly before time since the delayed ubhayakaras kept everyone waiting, as happens at so many temples all the time. The abhishekam itself though, once it begins, is greatly exciting. The presence of the Somaskandamurti is majestic and vast – one that cannot go un-acknowledged.
At 530pm the Adigu Vinayakar abhishekam was already underway and nearly complete. Arun was unable to come.
The Vinayaka utsavar was brought outside the Vinayaka shrine and dressed up for the evening purappadu. All the other vahanas in dazzling silver were on the other prakaram. A Thiruvasagam group sitting before the Nayanar sannadhi continued singing as the Vinayakar puja carried on. It’s Thursday, so Dakshinamurti is also being propitiated nearby. Ayyappan Swami calls me over and gives a mango and a flower from the Murugan sannadhi during the sayaraksha naivedyam rounds.
After Vinayaka’s deeparadhanai, the vastu puja begins right in front of the dhvajastambha, conducted by Venkatesa Gurukkal who had done the Chetty Brahmotsavam. He calls two younger sivacharyas over to chant the Brahma suktam, Rudra suktam, and the Vastu gayatri - "Om Vaastunaathaaya Vidmahe, Chaturbhujaaya Dheemah, Tanno Vaastuh Prachodayaat". By the northern entrance, on the floor, is a form of the goddess made in putthu mannu – “anthill-sand”. This is for the Mrtsangrahanam puja. The vastu puja concludes with the burning of the straw vastu effigy, and its dragging for one round around the temple accompanied by thavil on a single, haunting, ominous beat. The man who drags the effigy around is presented with a dhoti before doing so (Arasoo mama calls me over to take a photo), and is only to step back into the temple after bathing.
Vinayaka meanwhile is ready and arrives at the Mrtsangrahanam site, where a puja happens not unlike the one for Thulasi Mariamman at the smeared stone on the footpath. Numerous shanti mantras are heard, a grid is made with kusha grass with rice in each cadre, and milk is poured and flowers are offered on the manvetti. The manvetti is then used to take some of the earth that forms the goddess figure who is dressed in red. Milk is then poured on the “eaten” body, and the collected earth goes into a Kalavai Satti like thing. It is covered with the same red cloth, now bunched and tied so the tied part sits upright like a figure. A malli garland is wrapped around this red upright cloth knot, and the entire basked of earth is placed at Vinayaka’s feet. The purappadu continues until it reaches the utsavar sannadhi in South-West corner.
One of the families whose ubhayam this is runs the Sundara Vinayaka temple (built/ begun in 1910). Rani ma’m, together with her husband and a niece from Chennai are the ones sponsoring this event. Once again, it is this network of temple links that leads us on, and Sundara Vinayaka becomes a temple in our list to document.
Mannivannan comes over, introduces me and Arun to the EO, who seems quite friendly and supportive. We also meet other of his friends who seem social media buffs, and Meenakshi who does accounts in the office. She is to introduce me to Gurumama later. Guru mama I also meet but briefly just before the ubhayakara puja in the main shrine, so he’s a little short. Nothing else noteworthy.
Evening preparatory pujas included: Anugnai, Vigneswara Puja and Vastu Shanti