“We’re biased towards Nandhikeswara,” Arun declares. He couldn’t be more right, but for the fact that he didn’t add “unapologetically so.” It is possible that the more learned men are still primarily associated with the Vedapuriswara and Perumal Koyils, but Nandhikeswara with the stewardship of the Dewan has a rooted culture of its own, no less schooled or cultured. And the priests are just talented and skilled, as all our Navaratri videos have amply shown. Today there are not many present for the first abhishekam, which itself includes annam, cooked rice among the standard dravyangal or substances. I’m really glad we got to see that. Vrushabha has a darling garland of eggplants, the torana over the garbhagriha threshold is made of a raw banana bunch and other creatively hung vegetable maalas. The canopy over the moola murti is itself decorated with vegetables. Narttana Nandhi had a maala of corn and, was it ridge gourd? It’s all quite a sight to behold.
We came back once for the main Annabhisheka Alankaram, which was as with all this temple’s alankaras, spectacularly done. The lingam had been enlarged and embellished with vegetables, and the deeparadhanai was going on with the usual graceful, almost choreographed method. The photos speak volumes here, though I had nearly to crawl to get them as the crowds by now were full and thick. And oh, oh, oh, that Kailaya Vadyam again, and what it does to my beating heart!
On our third and last return for the evening, there was only a little less crowd, the annam had been removed and was set to be distributed as prasadam along with a big barrel full of all the vegetables, and the final venneer or hot water abhishekam was going on. Can’t leave Sivan sticky with rice after all. A little of the rice had been put into the temple’s well – some is supposed to go feed the running waters and the living creatures before becoming prasadam for us. We hadn’t seen this ourselves, but were told that was the method. When the last venneer chombu was poured, one last alankaram and deeparadhanai and the prasadam viniyogam began. We’re taking photos of the food on the way out, because distribution hasn’t started and we’re not waiting – and then this lovely man from the Sivan Koyil, who has seen us just about everywhere and had started out by saying to us “no photo!” comes over and gives us from his plate. I love the atmosphere in these temples, and what broadness of spirit it seems to draw out of people.
In each temple this evening there’s been rather more food distribution than usual. Abhishekam became the alankaram became the annadanam. Or, this seems to be one ritual in which the distinctions of the three are fully removed. You don’t just consume a little panchamrutam or smear yourself with a little chandanam or vibhuti, you consume the cooked rice as a meal supplemented with other annam dishes. If the distinctions matter on other occasions, today they did not. A reminder perhaps not to take them as that separate to begin with, even on other days–or to recognise today as a sort of dissolution, I’m not fully sure which.
We started out at 320pm, we got home past 9pm. What a night.
*Every pournami is marked with a special abhishekam at Sivan koyils in Kashi, says the priest. For Karthikai it’s deepam/fire, for Margazhi it’s kambali porvai (woollen blanket), in Thai masam it’s ghee and so on. But here in “Thennaadu” or the land of the south, only the Karthikai and Aippasi months’ practices hold.
Schedule Announcement from Dewan Kandappa:
On the full moon day of the Tamil month of Aippasi—Sunday, October 25th—the grand Annabhishekam (offering of cooked rice) festival for Lord Sri Siddheswarar will take place.
From 4:00 PM onwards: Thirumanjanam (sacred bath) and Annabhishekam.
From 6:30 PM onwards: Special darshan of the deity adorned with cooked rice.
From 7:00 PM onwards: A discourse by Dr. V. Sankaradevi on the topic, "The Significance of Annadhanam (offering of food) as Praised by the Nayanmars."
From 8:00 PM onwards: Removal of the rice adornment, followed by abhishekam (sacred bath) and darshan.
From 8:30 PM onwards: Distribution of anna prasadam (consecrated food).
We invite all devotees to participate and receive the divine blessings of the Lord.