Special festival to bring Tamilians together

CHANDIGARH: As Tamilians prepare for

Maha Kumbhabhishekam

— a festival that falls every 12 years — a part of Chandigarh will turn into mini South India with priests performing special ‘havan’, people adorned in traditional clothes, a delectable cuisine and devotional melodies from Tamil Nadu.

The festival will be celebrated in Sri Karthikeya Swamy Temple in Sector 31 on Friday by Chandigarh Tamil Sangam. Every item to be used in the grand celebration, including havan samagri (ingredients), spices, clothes and flowers have been brought all the way from Tamil Nadu. Even the priests and painters and musicians travelled a thousand miles to be a part of the grand event in Chandigarh.

“For the special havan, a specific set of ingredients is used, unlike a regular havan. We use a mixture of 108 items, all herbal with many medicinal values. These include various kinds of flowers. Most of these are not available here and the Chandan and Sindoor we use in the ritual are completely different from those available here. The havan is known to cure various illnesses,” said SP Rajasekaran, general secretary of Tamil Sangam.

Youngsters are excited to be a part of the festival and are fully involved in the preparations

The cloth pieces needed during the ritual are of a specific measurement which are only available in the South. Those who have exclusively come from Tamil Nadu to attend the festival have brought these items with them.

“Even the clothes which will offered to the deity have come from Tamil Nadu. The ritual will mark the wedding of all the gods on Friday. Women will wear saris brought from the home state. Some asked their relatives to get the saris while many got them couriered,” said Rekha Murugan, who has specially come for the festival.

Kanika Srinivasan, a Tamilian who shifted to Chandigarh in 1999, said, “In Chandigarh, Karthik Mandir has become a place of reunion of culture and devotion. For the younger generation, it is a centre where they can learn about vedas, slokas and the traditional values of the South.”

Kudamulukku, otherwise known as Kumbhabhishekam, will be performed at Sri Karthikeya Swami Temple, Sector 31D, Chandigarh, on Friday morning. During an auspicious time, the Abhishekam is performed using sanctified holy water kept in a decorated pot.

“The kopuram or the tower of Sri Karthikeya Swami Temple, is designed in typical Dravidian architecture. At the top of the tower, seven kalasams are installed with a special type of grain (Varagu Arisi), which can withstand very heavy voltage produced during lightening. This needs to be replaced within twelve years. Hence, Kumbhabhishekam is performed in an interval of 10-12 years, regularly,” said Dr S Ganesan, vice-president of the Chandigarh Tamil Sangam.

Special attractions

Though it is not a part of the ceremony, the managing committee requested Sri Rajappa Sivacharya to guide and teach the rituals and pooja procedures to the children of the samaj and allow them to perform the same with their own hands. This has garnered a very good response among the youngsters and they are showing complete involvement in the preparations. South Indian cultural dance and musical orchestra are among the things to look forward to during the festival.