Spoke to one of the temple Gurukkals about Damanotsava (Davanotsavam), but the name did not at all appear familiar to him, let alone the ritual. Instead he classed utsavas according to Siva’s 5 great cosmic acts, which we presume is in alliance with the Siva Purana: Vidyesvara Samhita, Adhyaya 10, Shloka 2 given below:
सृष्टिः स्थितिश्च संहारस्तिरोभावोऽप्यनुग्रहः । पंचैव मे जगत्कृत्यं नित्यसिद्धमजाच्युतौ
srstih sthitisca samharastirobhavo'pyanugrahah | pamcaiva me jagatkrtyam nityasiddhamajacyutau
Creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment, and grace—these five alone are My cosmic acts with regard to the universe; I, the Unborn and the Imperishable, accomplish them eternally.
Srsti, Sthiti, Samhara, Tirobhava and Anugraha. The Gurukkal mapped each of these onto specific temples: Anugraha is Mayiladuthurai; Samhara is Thiruchendur and Mylapore-Kapaleeswara; Vedapuriswara is a Srishthi utsavam temple, which means that the more shanti-giving rites are less important. Not sure if this is his own interpretation or some wider understanding.
Later, he mentions Pacchai saatthupadi /பச்சை சாத்துப்படி அலங்காரம் as a version of what he called damanotsavam – decorating with marikozhunthu and vettiver, for their calming and cooling effects. But this has no resonance with anything we’ve read so far about the Damanotsavam, which appears to be all but lost from local Saiva practice.
The Gurukkal spoke a lot about the idea of the bhaktostavam as the definite type of ritual at Vedapuriswara, because here (unlike Perumal koyil), difficulties are many, funds are scarce, and bhaktas and ubhayakaras are the driving forces because they sponsor. There is therefore the need to show the grandeur or effectiveness of an alankaram to convince them to take on the expense the next year. What comes to the priests for this is marginal, which is part of the reason they tend to seek employment abroad even for short periods. In the latest brahmotsavam many such things were done that were above and beyond what was paid – an excess by any other name – so that the ubhayakaras are convinced their money is being well used and will accept the higher charges next time (almost a freemium model, or a persuasive methodology).
Separating pujas and temple events into those which must remain fixed and those in which the rules can be bent. Fixed ones must continue and never diminish. “Utsavams” are fixed, “Bhaktotsavams” are flexible. Others can come and go by circumstance and capacity. But expectations are formative, generative, and the world beyond the temple creates these in no small measure. For example, Annadanam as a practice that is growing in importance–prasadam in the past was a mere spoonful, not more. But now the primary expectation is: darshanam, prasadam; sight and food, in quantity. Not given in the bare hand either (as sometimes the Perumal Koyil insists it should be): Elai-la potta-thaan prasadam, only if there’s enough to be put on a leaf, it’s prasadam. This feeds into the idea that we’re pressing temples to come up with foods as their distinguishing elements, which may be true of some Vaishnava kshetrams but not so much Saiva.
It’s worth consulting Davis here on the Mahotsavavidhi of Aghorasiva, Introduction pg 45: “The most unambiguous reference to devotional hymns in Mahotsavavidhi, however, comes in the “festival of the Devotees” (bhaktotsava), which takes place after the completion of the regular nine-day festival. In this ceremony, icons of the Devotees are honoured and praised with devotional hymns, though Aghoras´iva does not specify what those hymns are. Further, “those who know the S´aiva songs” receive cloth and other special gifts at this festival event. It is likely that Aghoras´iva has in mind specialist singers of the Tamil S ´aiva hymns of the Tevaram.”
Also: [Davis: bhaktotsava (festival of the Devotees), 45, 61–62, 134–136 ]
He also spoke about the temple itself, and its Kodi maram or Dhvajastambha. It is clad with metal, inside is wood. There was an older kodi maram, mahotsavams would happen, but the wood disintegrates, and so they re-start the brahmotsavams only after reinstalling it. In 1946 there was a Kumbhabhishekam, after that the maram must have fallen and next Kumbhabhishekam happened in 1976 – only after which the current Mahotsavam tradition has started.
Siva’s simplicity appeals to him, as a ritualist. The “aadambarai” left for the outside, inside only what I truly am, simple and light alankaram. Which is also why the deity is relieved of all these weights He carries at night, to rest.