We follow the alankaram-making from 11am up to its completion around 2pm. Amman is given the form of Meenakshi today. The utsava murti is the core, around which additional bronze limbs are added as extensions, and the rest of the body is skilfully enlarged and shaped with newspaper and rope. The original utsava murti is hidden entirely by the torso of the now enlarged Meenakshi. Her head is not crafted with newspaper, but with banana plantain stalk instead – “Vaazha Mattai” as they say. These are cut to size and layered to provide thickness. The body is then draped in a sari, meticulously passing though the legs and around the back multiple times as required. Maavu is then prepared with maravalli kalangu – tapioca flour, mixed with green paint and water to create the dough that is to be Meenakshi Amman’s face. The priest applies the maavu to the plantain stalk and within a few moulds and presses of his finger, there emerges a beautifully proportionate face. His fingers move with a sculptor’s adeptness and the rough shape of the face is ready within minutes. The rest of the hour is spent in detailing the nose, lips and eyes. Another hour after that goes into painting the cheeks, lips and eyes, placing the crown, bejewelling the deity and adding any final touches before the evening puja. At the end of this long afternoon, only the flower-garland is left to be placed, which will be brought fresh just before the evening puja.
In the evening, we meet Dewan Kandappa at the temple as we reach after the aradhanai is over. He explains that his wish is not merely to have entertainment during Navaratri, as many other temples do (Chetty, Ghousiga; Perumal remains loftily above the arts programme happening at his doorstep but not in his name– done by the Hindu Munani/VHP), but to grow arts traditions. For Navaratri there should be musicians playing all instruments, but they either charge too much to come or simply dance with a CD playing. All of it being too much or insufficient, Nandhikeswara keeps only a golu and no performances.