We made it to the morning’s rathotsavam, or ther vizha. The pulling of a deity in His chariot is always a major event, and the crowds spoke for it. The Chettiar community is welcoming enough that Arun is given a parivattam or small thundu tied around his head, and a pavitram on his right ring finger–so he’s officially now anointed as a participant in the process. It’s a loving gesture of acknowledgment and affirmation. In the afternoon, the theerthavari happened although at the well we were told and not at the sea as it did for Kalathiswara earlier in March/Panguni.
Then finally in the evening, with bowls of vigorously growing sprouts on all corners, the flag finally came down. As it turns out, the Chetty Koyil has a Chandran abhishekam on all Pournami days, so that was going on at the far end, too. It was just getting over as we came for the Dhvajarohanam. A small puja would have happened there after alankaram was done, but we have no photos of that.
Way over yonder by Kenikulam where the Chetty Koyil’s Lada Chinnamman lives, an abhishekam must have happened for Her, seeing that that’s their pournami practice, too. It would have been a simple one, just water and maybe milk, but it happened, too.
It was all a lot to pack into a single pournami!
The Day’s schedule:
9-10AM Simha Lakkinathanil Ratharohanam
Noon: Thirumanjanam & Theerthavari
7PM Avarohanam and Kadaporushanam* saattrumurai ul-purappadu
*The Koodapoorushanam (Koodapurasanam / Kadaporushanam) is a specific phase of the Saattrumurai chanted at the conclusion of daily Thiruvaradhanam in the Srivaishnava sampradaya