We both went – milkman brings the cow and this time a calf. Puja consists of alankaram for the cow and calf, then priest chants while every one present feeds them both bananas, agathi leaves, and then places flowers on them – a number of pradakshinas, which everyone performs. Then the cow and calf are led around the temple once, and out the door. There they wait patiently, are fed some aval pori, the day’s prasadam (kesari, mercifully, not thairsaadam), and the man milks the cow. This milk is quickly boiled and offered to Vasavi Kannika, with a little jaggery added, then to us all. The cow herd leaves, as do we.
Gopuja happens on the first friday of every tamil month, we’re told, if the Iyer is busy it may become the 2nd Friday.
Deepa goes back in the evening, 630. Just in time for the Mahalakshmi puja which is an abhishekam for a kutty vinayaka and Lakshmi, set up in the main hall. Milk, turmeric, and what I think is rose water are poured via a conch. Ladies from the community are present, though not all from the start. It’s the Mahila Sangam that does this, and all are ubhayakaras, all are asked by the Iyer to take a sankalpam. No elaneer etc. but other abhishekam is done. After, the alankaram etc. are a simple affair. Statues dressed and lifted into the small golden mandapa that’s set up outside the main shrine, dressed with flowers.
Baskets of flowers are distributed, and 2 plates for those sitting away or on chairs –one with flowers, one to place flowers. Priest chants, women offer flowers. Those closest offer flowers directly onto the deities. This goes on a while.
Then the women sing and chant from a book. There’s some talk of giving gotra names but this doesn’t seem to happen. They say the Ganesha Pancharatnam and Kanakadhara stotram (but of course) and start on something else but by now it’s 8 and I must leave. I speak to the main lady who is obviously a prominent organiser and thank her and offer to send photos as the ladies have been asking me to take some with their phones anyway. She’s very nice and welcoming, asks me to come again and often. She’s busy with the priest breaking coconuts and presumably preparing the day’s tambulam bags or prasadam take-home packets (there are a lot of buckets that come from the madapalli) when I leave.