It’s day 12, and today Draupadi Amman’s birth from fire is celebrated, so it’s called a pirappu utsavam, or Agni kundathil pancali, Panchali who emerges from the Agni kundam. Moola Amman is also in chandana kaappu, showing her birth in fire, and there’s tamarind rice, sweet pongal covered with ghee to make a mirror in which Amman’s reflection can be seen in the middle (neyyi kulam, not so effective though maybe too much light?), lemon rice on the right, curd rice dotted with pomegranate on the top. Different team did alankaram. Happens again on Tuesday before Thirukalyanam, I’m told.
Draupadi was out in two forms – the utsavar ready for purappadu, and the wooden Amman. Fire, too, was of 2 sorts – electric lights and a red cloth blown to look like fire, also a real fire in the homam clay “pot.” Pothuraja lifted twice up and down from the fire. Then Amman – the wooden utsava – with lights out, twice. It was quite stunning. Crowded today, with many offering maavu vilakku and pongal.
All of it took very long, nearly till 845pm, but was well worth the wait.