Today was the last day of the Vaishnava Navaratri utsavam, and we thought we’d not miss the ambu poduthal here for sure – but we were wrong. The patrikai said 7pm, but for some reason nobody could fathom, Ramanan Bhattacharya decided to finish it off at 530pm, so by 6 they were all done. The cut banana plant was in the corner by the mirror and the Alvar sannadhis. Perumal had done a 3-round ul-purappadu looking very grand on a golden horse with a new kireetam which looked a little like a jaunty little hat. It was new, we learned, so Arun was deputed to take photos of it, and the objects in Perumal’s hands. The alankaram was kept in the maha mandapam. We stayed for prasadam since there was not much besides we could do anyway. Many people complained that they’d missed the evening’s event, so it wasn’t just us. It was entirely unlike the priests to do something so early and without warning.
Incidentally, this is the only temple that had some Vanni Maram (Prosopis cineraria) branches around, along with the banana plant. The ritual is frequently performed near a Vanni tree because the Pandavas once hid their divine weapons in a Vanni tree during their exile, so the tree becomes a symbol of their victory. Some people were also collecting the twigs “from the spot where the arrow landed” (or close enough anyway) as a charm bringing good luck, prosperity, and protection.