Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Day 5. Day - Chandrasekhara on Rishaba Vahana
On the morning of Day 5 of the 2016 Arunachala Karthigai Festival, Lord Chandrasekhara is seated on the Rishaba Vahana.
Chandrasekhara and Vinayaka darshan Alankaram Mandapam
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After giving darshan both vahanas set off on Car Street beginning circumambulation of Temple
Vinayaka on his vahana leads procession with Lord Chandrasekhara on Rishaba Vahana in background
Procession started from East Gopuram. Here it has reached the West Pey Gopuram - side nearest to Arunachala
Lord Chandrasekhara
Arunachaleswarar Temple
2016 Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Day 5. Night - Big Silver Rishaba
Big Silver Rishaba
"The Festival begins nine or ten days before Deepam. Each evening there
are solemn processions round the Temple, which are over and above the
regular worship and the private offerings of puja which go on through
the day.
The day comes to its climax with the procession of the panchamoorthies in the evening, which lasts almost until midnight . . . .
It was recommended not to miss the night of the silver bull, and I had
accordingly arrived in very good time . . . . in the Kalyana Mandapam,
'the portico of weddings,' the priests were busy decorating the murtis,
using silk and gold brocade, flowers and valuable jewels. Meanwhile the
cars were standing outside the Temple, and on them also ornaments were
being loaded. All this seemed to go on interminably; but at last there
was a sudden blare of trumpets form the inner courtyard, their sound
re-echoing loudly from the high enclosure walls. Accompanying the
trumpets was the low drone of the tamburas, while the silvery melody of
flutes pierced though the noise of the crowd.
Now the file of moorthies with their attendants emerged from their
shrines, and when they passed under porticos or gopurams the echo from
the low vaults become deafening. Soon they came to the Vallalla Gopuram
where were standing. In front were the torch-bearers, next the
musicians, and last the palanquins, carried on the bare shoulders of
devotees. On either side was the tightly-packed crowd with outstretched
arms, giving cries of fervent devotion. Somewhere breaking coconuts on
the ground, while others held out at arm's length gilded trays of
burning camphor. The enthusiasm spread, swelled, multiplied itself
irresistibly. Light, heat, scents, sounds, bodies and souls too, all
were weeded together into a single vast and vibrant outpouring of love
in honour of the Lord of Arunachala.
We followed behind the procession, crossed the outermost courtyard,
passed under the huge gopuram over the East Gate and reached the long
colonnade which adjoins it on the east, where the cars were waiting. The
moorthies were installed on the cars; and once again the work of
decoration was resumed with renewed zeal; flowers, jewels, lights in
even greater quantity. The crowd was now more tightly packed than ever.
The friend who was guiding me managed to open a path for me immediately
in front of the chief car, where the palanquin of Shiva Annamalaiyar was
mounted on the silver bull.
Over him was held a huge ceremonial umbrella which touched the roof
overhead. Behind the car was a trailer with a dynamo, and thousands of
electric bulbs sparkled all over the palanquin, the platform, the
decorations, among the jewels, silks and flowers which adorned the
statue. A devotee, who was standing near, was so moved that he cried
out: "How can one doubt any longer that it is the Lord himself upon his
car, who presents himself for our adoration!" . . .
[Edited Narrative By Swami Abhishekananda 1970]
Aarti to Gods inside Kalyana Mandapam
Adorning the Gods Alankaram Mandapam
Huge garlands for Lord Arunachaleswarar on Big Silver Rishaba passed over the head of devotees at Alankaram Mandapam
Brahmin priests arranging the huge garlands on Lord Arunachaleswarar and his vahana
Huge umbrella placed over adorned Lord on his Big Silver Rishaba
Panchamoorthies darshan Alankaram Mandapam
Starting off on procession of mada veedhis
Kumbhabhishekam Isanya Desikar Math: 8 a.m. December 9, 2016
On Friday December 9th, 2016 at 8.00 a.m., kumbhabhishekam was performed
at the Sri Isanya Math at Tiruvannamalai. Sri Isanya is regarded as of
one of the great saints of Arunachala (1750-1829).
His Samadhi located at an Math dedicated to him, is opposite the Isanya
Lingam (one of the Asta Lingams). To learn more about this mahatma, go
to this link here.
Below is a story about the famous saint and how he helped his British
devotee Ayton (who was the District Collector of the area at that time),
overcome dangers in his efforts to safely attend a Deepam Festival.
Deepam: a Saint and a District Collector
The story goes thus:-
Isanya Desikar, whose math is located just outside Tiruvannamalai on the
old pradakshina road, was a distinguished yogi who, like many before
and after him, felt the spiritual call of Arunachala. He was born in
1750 in a small village called Rayavelur in northern Tamil Nadu. He came
and settled at the foot of Arunachala only late in his life, but
nevertheless, by virtue of his intense and personal relationship with
Arunachaleswarar, he is regarded as one of the major saints of
Arunachala.
Isanya Desikar had a western devotee, who is now recalled by the name of
Ayton. He was the then District Collector for the region that extended
from Tiruvannamalai to Vriddhachalam. Ayton had heard about the
greatness of Isanya Desikar and approached him in the hope of getting a
cure from the tuberculosis from which he had been suffering for many
years.
Isanya Desikar smiled and after a brief pause spat on the ground. The
moment he spat, Ayton was cured of the disease. Ayton then spoke to the
holy man with both trepidation and devotion. 'Swami, I have recently
acquired a large amount of land, I would like to offer your holiness as
much as you need. It can be a permanent endowment in your name.' Isanya
Desikar smiled and asked tauntingly, 'Will your land yield crops even
during a drought?' Then, pointing his finger towards Arunachaleswarar
and Apeetakuchamba, he added, 'Here is a householder with two children
and a large family. It is proper to give him any amount of land, but it
is not proper to gift it to me, a sannyasin.'
Ayton took leave of him but returned on many occasions. He got into the
habit of addressing him reverentially and affectionately as 'Tata',
which means 'grandfather'. It is said that before he began any new
project he would always meditate on Isanya Desikar and invoke his
blessing by saying, 'Tata, please lead me in this work. It is your
work.' At Deepam Festivals Ayton would take the lead in dragging the
huge temple chariot through the streets of Tiruvannamalai. However,
before moving the chariot for the first time he would pick up one of the
ropes and exclaim loudly: 'Tata, you hold the rope and lead us!' The
local people were all astounded that such a prominent British official
should have such devotion towards a naked sannyasin.
Ayton made it a point always to attend and lead this annual festival,
but one year he found himself stranded by floods on the southern side of
the River Pennar just before the beginning of the festival. Knowing
that he was expected to be at Arunachala to start the chariot on its
journey, he called out to his mount: 'Horse, I must see Tata and I must
also get the Deepam Festival started. Think of Tata and cross the
river!' Without a moment's delay or hesitation, the horse leapt into the
raging torrent of water and effortlessly waded to the other side. None
of the other people who were stranded dared to follow for they were all
convinced that it would be suicidal to enter the surging waters.
At the moment when Ayton put his faith in Tata and leapt into the water,
Isanya Desikar opened his eyes after a long meditation and stretched
out his hand in a southerly direction. When one of his disciples asked
what he was doing, he replied, 'If someone falls into a river, should we
not save him?'
Ayton arrived safely and took Isanya Desikar's blessings to start the
festival. When the news of Ayton's spectacular river crossing and Isanya
Desikar's role in it spread among the Deepam crowds, many came to the
north-eastern side of the hill to see the man who had been responsible
for the miracle. Several of the new visitors turned out to be mature
seekers who were looking for guidance from a Guru. Isanya Desikar
accepted some as disciples, had a small thatched shed built to
accommodate them and gave instruction by writing a guide to liberation
entitled Jnana Kattalai.
Invitation to Kumbhabhishekam
Arunachala darshan from Isanya Ashram
Entrance to Sri Isanya Desikar Math
Scaffolding erected to shrines at the Math
Yagasala in Math compound
Entrance to Isanya Desikar Samadhi
Samadhi of Isanya Desikar
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