Andal alankaram today maybe? She’s with a parrot and a side-kondai, so must be. 3pm today there’d been a kolam contest in the temple, and the inside area beyond the columns on left and right, as well as the outer prakaram parts were filled with interesting kolams. 3 winners had already been chosen. This says so much about the community focused nature of this temple–games and activities are part of the temple culture of keeping the community close knit. The patrikai for the 17-day Navaratri Utsavam lists many such events (see below), though not all seem to happen within the temple itself. Possibly they take place in the mandapam next door, which also belongs to the community and is an extension of the temple’s ritual life.
One elderly woman tells me she’d seen me before because I’d come home. What? She’s seen me at the temple for sure, many times, and maybe got that confused with home!
(from Bulletin board) Navaratri 6-aam Naal
- Kaalai 7.30 Manikku Ammanukku Abhishekam, Deeparadhanai
- Maalai 6.00 Manikku Utsavar Ammanukku Sri Lalita Sahasranama Kunkuma Archanai, Kanni Puja, Shodashi Paarayanai
- Maalai 7.00 Manikku Sri Soundarya Lahari Paarayanam
*NOTE that the bulletin board announcement says nothing about a kolam contest which happened today, but it’s there in the Navaratri patrikai, which I’m coping out below:
Navaratri Competitions 2026 organised by Sri Vasavi Kannika Parameswari Devasthanam:
- 11-10-2026 (Sunday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Drawing competition; Devotional songs (Age 3–18)
- Organisers / Donors: Kuppu Thiru. G. Rajkumar Chettiyar
- 12-10-2026 (Monday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Spiritual storytelling (Topic: Forms of Shakti - 3 minutes on any one form)
- Organisers / Donors: Vellore Thiru. V. Madhava Chettiyar son Thiru. V.M. Rameshgupta Chettiyar (Homoeopathy Medical Shop, Puducherry - 1)
- 13-10-2026 (Tuesday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Vegetable Carving
- Organisers / Donors: Thiru. S.K. Dhandapani Chettiyar son Thiru. D. Satheeshnath Chettiyar and family
- 14-10-2026 (Wednesday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Origami (making shapes using paper)
- Organisers / Donors: Muthialpet Thiru. Sambamurthy Chettiyar son Thiru. S. Anantha Narayanan, and Chennai S. Gopalakrishnan son Thiru. Ravishankar
- 15-10-2026 (Thursday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Cooking competition - Sweet (using pumpkin)
- Organisers / Donors: Thiru. Sanga Kannaiyan Chettiyar & Brothers
- 16-10-2026 (Friday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Kolam competition (avoiding figures/drawings); Soundarya Lahari recital
- Organisers / Donors: Bangalore Kasturi Krishnamurthy Amman
- 17-10-2026 (Saturday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Speech competition (open age); Topic: Life lessons taught by festivals
- Organisers / Donors: Sirandhe S. Prakash Chettiyar (Radha Hardware & Radha Textiles)
- 18-10-2026 (Sunday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Chess (Above 12 Years - Male, Female); Chess (Below 12 Years - Male, Female); Bhagavad Gita Question-Answer competition
- Organisers / Donors: Thiru. S.R.G. Ayothiraman Chettiyar son Thiru. K.J. Mani Chettiyar (Sri Lakshmi Coffee Works)
- 19-10-2026 (Monday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Fancy dress / Alankaram competition (Ages 2–14 years)
- Organisers / Donors: Advocate Thiru. S.P. Vasudevan Chettiyar son Thiru. S.V. Yuvarajkumar Chettiyar
- 20-10-2026 (Tuesday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Spiritual Quiz (Aanmeega Vinadi Vina)
- Organisers / Donors: Ammanambu Puducherry Arya Vysya Samajam
- 21-10-2026 (Wednesday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Devotional songs (Above 18 years)
- Organisers / Donors: Thiru. P. Rajendran Chettiyar & Sons (Thanga Maligai)
- 22-10-2026 (Thursday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Lalita Sahasranama chanting (First 7 slokas, Ages 3–15)
- Organisers / Donors: Kallapattu Thiru. Er. K. Rameshbabu Chettiyar (KRB Constructions, Saara Inn Residency)
- 23-10-2026 (Friday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Annamacharya Kirthanas
- Organisers / Donors: Ananthavar Thiru. Er. R. Jothiram Chettiyar
- 24-10-2026 (Saturday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Yoga
- Organisers / Donors: Eappur Thiru. A. Prabhakaran Chettiyar & family
- 25-10-2026 (Sunday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Cooking competition - Spicy/Savoury (using Horse Gram / Kollu)
- Organisers / Donors: Kottakuppam Thiru. K.V.R. Venkatesan Chettiyar
- 26-10-2026 (Monday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Kuthuvilakku Alankaram (1-foot tall traditional brass lamp decoration)
- Organisers / Donors: Kisan Thiru. Virupakshi Chettiyar son Kisan Thiru. V. Prakash Chettiyar
- 27-10-2026 (Tuesday)
- Competitions / Programmes: Jo Thi Arathi Thattu decoration (using Tender Coconut / Thennanguruthu)
- Organisers / Donors: Vidaiyatri Utsavam - Perumukkal Thiru. D. Jawahar Babu Chettiyar
General Timings for Competitions
- 10:00 AM: Chess & Yoga
- 12:00 PM: Drawing Competition
- 2:30 PM: Kolam, Essay, Bhagavad Gita Q&A
- 6:30 PM: Other Evening Competitions