He’s a groom today after all, and so the nadai matches that. “Nadai (Srirangam), Kudai (Kanchipuram), Vadai (Tirupati)”, said Thathacharya! My friend Chandra confirmed the place associations, each one keeping its own speciality, and spoke of how her mother would tell her stories of nadai-kudai azhagu or the beauty of these large umbrellas shading the deities on their way. We awoke to such details at this point. I’ll never look again at one of those kudais in the same way again. They’re magnificent, and not merely accessories, but fully protagonists in this street pageant. The men who serve as the Sri Padam are also animators, they choose to walk in a few different ways to bring to life the deity form that they bear. Today is a wild charging elephant, with all the might, force, and energy of a new groom (mappillai), but a purposeful, fast, direct walk is “Raja nadai,” but of course.
Brahmotsavam Day 6 Schedule:
07:30 AM: Pallakku - Srinivasan Appearance Procession | 10:00 AM: Thirumanjanam
04:00 PM: Thirukalyana Utsavam
09:00 PM: Procession on Golden Elephant Vahanam – with elephant nadai on the streets!