Post-2016 Karthigai Deepam Festival: Day 1 Theepal - Sri Chandrasekhara
Brahmotsavam is intended to teach us the way to divine self-realisation.
The last of the celebratory observances during Karthigai Festival is
Thirthotsavam which literally means "water festival". Three days are
allocated at the end of Deepam to celebrate the water festival at
Ayyankulam Tank in front of Arunagirinathar Temple (the third oldest
Shiva Temple at Arunachala). The water festival is representative of the
sadhaka's plunge into the higher realms of consciousness - and typifies
entering into samadhi ... an end of religious aspiration.
The Theepal for the Gods are floating structure made up of drums and
timber and decorated with lights, flowers, religious paintings and
silken buntings. Lights are installed around the perimeter of the tank
and focus lights placed at strategic points. When the murtis of the Gods
come to Ayyankulam Tank they are placed lovingly on the float and then
the float pushes off and completes an allocated number of turns upon the
Temple Tank. Devotees sit on the steps of the tank to take darshan.
Thereafter the deity of that day is taken in procession around the four
perimeter streets surrounding Arunachaleswarar Temple.
During the evening of Tuesday, December 13, Sri Chandrasekhara gave His
devotees darshan on Day 1 of Theppals on the Ayyankulam Tank.
|
|
Lord Chandrasekhara
Darshan on Theepal, Ayyankulam Tank
Post-2016 Karthigai Deepam Festival: Day 2 Theepal - Sri Amman
During the evening of Wednesday, December 14, Sri Amman gave devotees darshan on Day 2 of Theppals on the Ayyankulam Tank.
Sri Amman
Sri Amman Theepal on Ayyankulam Tank
Post-2016 Karthigai Deepam Festival: Day 3 Theepal - Lord Subramanya
During the evening of Thursday, December 15, Lord Subramanya gave His
devotees darshan on Day 3 of Theppals on the Ayyankulam Tank in front of
the Sri Arunagirinathar Temple.
Lord Subramanya (with wives) alangaram
Lord Subramanya carried to Ayyankulam Tank on palanquin
The Lord being carried onto Theepal
Lord Subramanya on Theepal
Lord Subramanya gives darshan
2016 Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Extraordinary Grace Given to Fishermen
Every year during Deepam five earthen-pot lighted lamps, representing
the five elements, provide the flame for the single Bharani Deepam which
fisherman carry to the top of the mountain for use as the source-light
for the Krittikai Deepam. It is also they who are entrusted with
carrying the Deepam Cauldron up to the top of the Hill prior to the day
of Mahadeepam.
The Deepam cauldron is hauled up the slopes of Arunachala supported by
poles inserted into the cauldron's rings. The unique privilege for
taking the flame (source-light) and cauldron up the Hill and also for
the actual lighting of the Deepam Flame is always given (for as long as
the Hill's recorded history) to men of the fishing caste.
Parvtha Raja clan of fisherman light 2016 Deepam
This year 52 year old K Subramanya and his relatives of the Parvatha
Raja clan lit the cauldron on the summit of Arunachala on Monday,
December 12, 2016. According to local belief, the Parvatha Raja clan are
descendants of a king who had been blessed by Lord Shiva to light the
cauldron in order to ward off a curse. The clan has three sub-divisions:
Unnamulai Priyan, Pennattu Priyan and Vathathi Priyan.
The menfolk from the three sub-classes take turns every year to light
the cauldron. This year it is the Unnamulai Priyan division.
The clansmen are honoured with 'Parivattam' on the morning of Karthigai
Deepam Day at the temple. They use 'Ezhalal' (a long bamboo stick with
the wick at one end) to light the cauldron. The lamp is lit at 6 p.m.,
when the idol of Ardhaneswara is taken on a procession around the
sanctum of the Arunachaleswarar temple. Around 600 kg of ghee, 100 metre
of cloth and over 4 kg of camphor will be used each day for 10 days.
The reason for the extraordinary grace shown to the fishing clan is
explained by a famous legend of the time the Goddess Parvati was adopted
by the king of the fishermen. A version of the story appears below.
Becoming a Fisherman
"Once, the Lord was explaining to the Goddess the secret import of the
Vedas. However, the Goddess who was listening to the Lord, seemed to be
beset with some anxiety and was otherwise engrossed. It was, therefore,
apparent that She was listening in name only. The Lord noticed this and
said that as She was not paying full attention to the important things
discoursed by Him that in retribution She should be born in the
fisherman's community.
The Goddess lamented and the Lord assured Her that She would be born to
the king of fishermen and that He (The Lord) would in due course come to
wed her.
Ganapathi and Subrahmanya, the sons of the Lord were greatly perturbed
by this and in their frenzy, considering the books of the Vedas to be
the cause of the trouble, threw the offending books into the sea. The
Lord took Nandikeswara to task for having allowed Vinayaka and
Subrahmanya to go to Him without knowing His convenience and cursed him
to become a shark in the sea. Any curse on Ganapathi would recoil on Him
(the Lord) and hence the Lord did not impose any curse on the elephant
God, however, Subrahmanya was cursed to become the dumb son of a
merchant.
There was a place called Pakam on the eastern seashore of the Pandya
Kingdom which was inhabited by fishermen and their king of the great
fisherman clan of Paravar, was a great devotee of Lord Siva. The king
had no children and one day, when he went to the sea for fishing, found a
crying female child lying under a Pinnai tree (or Punnai, Calophyllam
Inophyllam) on the seashore. He picked the child up with great joy and
handed it to his wife saying that it was a gift of the Lord. His wife
brought up the child very affectionately and adorned it with various
jewels. The child grew to be a girl who constantly meditated on Lord
Siva.
As ordained by the Lord's curse, Nandikeswara became a shark and caused
havoc to the fishermen's boats sailing in the sea. The king of the
fishermen took considerable pains to catch the shark - but all was in
vain. The king therefore announced that he would give his daughter in
marriage to any person who would catch the shark.
The Lord appeared in the guise of a young fisherman and the king was
struck with the personality and bearing of the young newcomer. To the
king's enquiry the young man replied that he was a fishermen and could
net any big fish or shark. The king told him of the prize offered for
netting the shark infesting the area. The newcomer went to the sea and
in no time netted the shark.
The king and his men were astonished at the feat. And happily gave to
the newcomer his daughter in marriage and celebrated the wedding
immediately. The bride and bridegroom immediately appeared as Siva and
Parvati on their Vrishabha mount and the shark also appeared as
Nandikeswara.
The king of the fishermen extolled the God for the great kindness shown
to an ordinary and illiterate man. The Lord told him that as he had been
yearning for a child, He sent Parvati to be his daughter and He came
himself came to wed Her. The Lord also blessed the king to have all
prosperity and at the end of his life to become a denizen of Sivaloka.
Then the Lord instructed Parvati about the secret import of the Vedas
and She eagerly and earnestly listened to the discourse."
2016 Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Deepam at Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram
As is their tradition the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram creates their own
representation of Arunachala during the Karthigai Festival and every
evening light the Deepam at the top of their Hill.
Below are photographs of Saturday 17 December, 2016 at Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram.
The Ashram's own Hill is adjacent to samadhi auditorium
Specially created Arunachala at Ashram
Left Goddess, right Lord Arunachaleswarar
Deepam on their own Arunachala
Devotees present for Deepam lighting each evening. This continues for
same amount of time the Deepam remains on Arunachala summit
Ashram's Deepam aligned to that on Arunachala
|
|
|
|
