There’s a special abhishekam at 10am, and a Karaga vizha just after. The family that had undertaken this pledge was present, 3 boys, plus a lady who must have been the grandmother of at least the littlest boy with the beautiful face, and a young girl, likely his sister. The grandmother was given an Amman form with a trident across her tongue, and she almost instantly went into a trance. Pambaikarar was a man like Senthil pusari at Angalamman, who accompanied the family carrying the karagam the whole way, all around the block, bare feet in blazing heat, too much to bear in spite of wearing socks and several people pouring water to cool their feet. The pambaikarar priest did the lime dhristi in quite a dramatic way several times. The photos capture that somewhat well. After their return, karagams brought down again, and this time the granddaughter in purple got into a trance-dance. Then koozh and kanji were distributed, and all wiped clean, the rush was incredible.
This evening is a kumbha padayal, followed by a veethi ula which started around 9. Not sure what the alankaram was, She had a trident. The kumbha padayal was… masalamasala and strange. Ramanan gurukkal gave me a big pot to take home and I have to return the plastic vessel. It had been set up on several long tables beforehand which were being washed and cleaned when I got there – so much rice on the road, gasp. The woman who had been part of the karagam group asked me if I had been “called by amman only this year” or if I’d been coming before. The former, I said, going with her phrasing.
*Why do people say “govinda govinda” almost instinctively while karagam is being raised etc.? Some story we don’t know or just a transfer of Perumal koyil habits?