Ninra Narayana Perumal Temple, Thiruthangal – Festivals
& Religious Practices
The
temple follows Vaigasana Agama. The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
As at other Vishnu temples of Tamilnadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals
are performed four times a day: Kalasanthi at
8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at
12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., and Ardha
Jamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for Ninra Narayana
Perumal, Ranganathar and Arunakamala Mahadevi. During the last step of
worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion
instrument) are played, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are
recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast.
There
are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. The
Vaikasi Vasantotsavam, Pillai Lokacharyar festival and Kurathazhwar festival,
each celebrated for ten days are the most prominent festivals of the temple,
and for the surrounding villages. Vaikasi Vasantotsavam is celebrated during
the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May-June) when
devotees pull the chariot round the streets of Thiruthangal. Verses
from Nalayira Divya Prabandham are recited by a group of temple priests
amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument)
and tavil (percussion instrument).
The
other major festivals celebrated are Sri Jayanthi Uriyadi, Pavitrotsavam,
Garudotsavam, Navarathri, Karthigai, Thirumangai Azhwar day, Vaikunta Ekadasi
and Kalyana Utsavam. During Chitra Pournami, the festival image has a holy dip
in Arjuna River, decorated and mounted on a horse mount and taken around ten
villages around Thiruthangal. On the fifth day of Adi Pooram, the festival
image of the image is brought in Garuda mount and taken to Srivilliputhur Divya Desam along with four other temples.
Aadi Trip to Srivilliputhur:
Every
year, on the 5th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, Thiruthangal Appan goes to
Srivilliputhur, about 25kms from here. Periyazhvar praises the Lord in the
morning, while Garuda Sevai is a special feature in the evening. The next
morning, 6th day of Aadi, Thiruthangal Appan takes flowers from Aandaal, another
unique occurrence.
