I don’t think I’ve seen longer lines or crowds at the temple for a darshan event. Utsavams, yes, darshan not so much. But the mandapam was full even at 530pm, and the queue snaked around the temple to the back of the Murugan shrine. We were staking out a position when we bumped into Uma mami sitting at the side entrance to the garbhagriha, with her usual happy disposition, talking about how Arasoo mama (Chandramouli Gurukkal, actually) advised her to be there so that when the ubhayakaras finish, she can go in that way and see the annabhishekalankaram and exit sooner than the waiting crowd. “I’m waiting here trusting Siva, and if you wait with me I know I’ll have more power,” she said. She’s always one to call us out as being to so many temples, our darshan is as powerful as any deity–hilarious.
But, tt didn’t quite happen that way. Arasoo mama came, indeed, and admitted all of us along with the ubhayakaras saying “this lady lives in the next house, these two are my neighbours, that lady lives on my street…” Also hilarious. We got in with everyone, and the temple doors opened, but we were then the closest. The Annabhisheka-alankaram was nice, but being in that space with everyone was nicer.
Soon after, once the Ambal darshan and aradhanai were done, people queued up for annadanam and prasadam – another long, long line. The hot sambar rice being given out smelled fine, but we left without it. What we’d seen had been enough.
The Vedapuriswara Koyil does this event a day after all other temples thanks to an Ashwini nakshatram calculation, while all others match their timings to the full moon tithi.
Today’s schedule:
Teti: Aippaci macam 9-am teti — 26.10.2026 — Monday, after 10am - Sri Vetapurisvarar – Sri Tripurasundari Ampalukku maha abhishekam.
5.30pm:
- Annam cattutal
- Annabhiseka alankaram
- Sotasopacara diparadhana
- Maha diparadhana
- Annam piracatamaka valankappatum.