Thiru maal irum sOlai - part 7 - chithra thiru vizhaa
From the Bhakti List Archives
• February 10, 1997
Thiru maal irum sOlai - part 8 - chithra thiru vizhaa
for kaLLazhagar
The most important festival for Sri KaLLazhagar is the
one that is celebrated during the chithra month powrNami
(full moon). This is chithra festival celebrated with
vakravar. The chithra thiru vizhaa that starts in
madurai meeNaakshi temple and this chithra festival of
Lord kaLLazhagar start on the same day and time. Prior
to King Thirumalai naayaakar's rule (He was ruling in
Madurai as his capital for sometime) these festivals
were celebrated on 2 different time of the year
separated by months. It is noted that Lord Azhagar's
chithra festival took place always in chiththirai as per
the current schedule and meeNakshi kOil's festival used
to take place during the month of "maasi". The street
where meeNakshi's car plies around during the car
festival is thus named after the month maasi and is
known as maasi veethi. Prior to King Thirumalai
nAyakkar's rule Lord Azhagar will travel (even now ?!)
passing through "azhaga"nalloor, thEnoor, and reach
madurai and step down in river vaigai and stay in
"vaNdiyoor" and reach azhagar malai in chithra month. It
is reported in history that King thirumala nAyakkar
combined both the festivals to bring those mass momentum
and speciality and add to the religious sentiments of
his public.
There is also another story that's reported in the
later day shaivite's tradition. It is said that Lord
Azhagar came here to see the marriage of HIS *younger
sister* meeNAkshi's marriage. While travelling from HIS
azhagar malai, HE stopped at several places
(ILaippaaRuthal ie in modern words taking a break during
the long journey of 12 miles all by foot). It is seen
even today that large amount of water is pumped in and
sprayed through huge hoses on the public who are
gathered all along the way of this 12 miles from all
over in hundreds of thousands, to quench the heat and
also the holy water of silambAru is sprayed on the Lord
as his procession walks down and the battars constantly
do sAmaram that is visiri or fan to blow some cool air
on the Lord. It is also said that the entire town of
madurai come to receive this Lord azhagar whom they
worship as Lord Vishnu and param and "aathimoolam"
personally with complete mariyaathai (protocol of
respects offered to Lord all through out the way) and
poorNa kumbam. (Many madurai district vaasis even now
name their sons as "aathimoolam" and this is next best
name in madurai as compared to many pAndiyans). Such
ethir mariyaathai is known as "ethir sEvai" in popular
terms during this festival. However the story of azhagar
coming here for the sake of HIS sister's marriage is not
reported in purAnams and hence don't have purAnic
backing. It is widely considered by Historians that king
thirumalai nAyakkar attempted to bring harmony among
shaivaite and srivaishnavite followers and hence moved
the meeNAkshi temple festival from mAsi and combined it
with the ever prominent azhagar festival in chiththirai.
Even today it is believed that the state government of
Tamil nadu provides some support for this festival as it
inherited from the raj, and celebrates it as one of the
official festivals as similar to srimushnam festival
that is also being celebrated as a state festival for
srimushnam Lord to promote Hindus and Muslim unity. The
lord of srimushnam stops on his way to killai while
"kanu" festival when the prayers are offered to this
lord from the mosque and the lord is accepting it for
centuries now.
Sri ANDAL samEtha Sri parimEl KaLLazhagar thiruvadikaLE charaNam
Sampath Rengarajan