Today is one of the 6 annual Nataraja Abhishekams, this one tithi-based. Here are the full 6:
- Margazhi – Thiruvathirai (Arudra Darshanam)
- Masi – Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi
- Chithirai – Thiruvonam (Shravana nakshatra)
- Aani – Utthiram (Uttara Phalguni nakshatra, the day of the Aani Thirumanjanam)
- Aavani – Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi
- Purattasi – Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi
Of these Arudra Darshanam and Aani Thirumanjanam are the most prominent, but the others get marked well, too, typically with a Nataraja abhishekam and puja.
At the Sivan Koyil, the procedure is interrupted just slightly by a parallel Guru puja happening for Narasimhamunaiyaraiyar Nayanar. We saw the Maniyakkarar and one of the regulars in the bhaktar sabhai (whom I will later meet working at a petrol pump as an attendant) take the Narasimhamunaiyaraiyar Nayanar utsavar out on a full inside circumambulation, going into the garbhagriha for a moment when the lights are turned completely off. The Maniyakkarar sings, the statue exits and returns to the Nayanmar utsava mandapa. We see this happening often at the temple, with the Bhaktar group almost acting in parallel to the main temple, and being sometimes quite unconcerned with that may be happening in the garbhagriha.
The lights go out at Sundara Vinayaka Koyil, and while that makes the proceedings harder for the priest, it results in surprisingly stunning photographs using just the plain old phone flashlight.
Nandhikeswara has no Nataraja, but the Narttana Nandi stands in and receives as usual a most stunning and elaborate abhishekam. Its high point was the red pomegranate juice flowing over the body of the dancing Nandi. The substances are all poured in a precise, narrow stream from the conch, giving the sacred bath its rejuvenating characteristic.
The Chetty Koyil also has its Nataraja abhishekam, but with no ubhayakara this time so the Nirvagam head stands in, and hardly anyone else is present, But a small homam is on, and the process completes in much the same way we saw it in full in Chitra masam.