It was supposed to happen like this:
Day 24: Parashakti Amman Padayal
Day 25: Mutthalarajan padayal
But the Parashakti event was postponed from yesterday on account of it being Pournami or because everyone is at the end of their tethers, I’m not sure which. But it happened in the course of the day. Kannan sent photos.
Around 830pm, food was laid out for Mutthalarajan. Parashakti Padayal was finished in the morning itself apparently, we didn’t know. Six banana leaves heaped with steamed rice, then covered in a variety of nonveg kuzhambus – seemed to consist of fish and chicken, then decked with boiled eggs. And of course, beer and some other kinds of alcoholic drinks placed at Mutthalarajan’s feet. An array of new faces at the temple. People thronging for the food. There is a bhajanai group singing. My intentions of asking them about what was being sung after the puja got washed. Chaos broke loose the moment the aradhanai was over. One entire band of people rushed towards the padayal with buckets and dabbas in hand, while another band rushed to find seats at the dining service arranged at the back. Some who couldn’t make it to the chairs, grabbed banana leaves and settled on the floor. Through all the shouting and commotion, I also manage to hear the alankaram-priest and another of his helper-priests arguing over the alleged disappearance of the “big bottle of beer”. I exit.