Thiruvallikkeni
Theppothsavam 2014 - Sri Parthasarathi Theppam day 1
In the divyadesam of Thiruvallikkeni, there
are ‘Grand Celebrations’ throughout the year....
the tamil month of Masi has special significance. On the Full moon
[Pournami day and Magam Nakshathiram] Sri Parthasarathi Swami visits the shores
of Marina, famously known as Masi Magam. Perhaps this is the time
that signifies the onset of summer and it is time for cooling the Lord.
On Masi New moon [Amavasyai] starts the float festival at
Thiruvallikkeni. The tank of Sri Parthasarathi Swami is famous ~ it
is ‘Kairavini Pushkarini’… the pond of Lily –
‘allikkeni’ from which the place itself derives its name (~ and
my blog is titled Kairavini Karaiyinile literally meaning on the banks of holy
Kairavini, the temple tank).
The tank has added significance attributed to the birth of “Yathi Rajar” –
Swami Ramanujar due to the penance undertaken by Kesava Somayaji and
Kanthimathi ammal. Pushkarinis were developed closely associated with temples.
The water from the tank was once used daily for thirumanjanam and all other
religious functions of the Lord. The conclusion of Brahmotsavam would be by
‘thirthavaari’ the sacred bath at the tank.
Every year there is the ‘theppam’
– the float festival. A floating structure gets spruced up, made of drums, timber and
ornated beautifully. Perumal would come to the temple tank in purappadu and
placed majestically inside the float. The beautifully lit theppam would be
dragged around in water. Devotees in hundreds converge, sit everywhere on the
steps of the temple tank to have darshan of the Lord on theppam. In olden days,
the shops springing up for the occasion were of added attraction.
The annual float festival of
the Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple starts every year on Maasi Ammavasai day and
is a 7 day affair. The first three days, Sri Parthasarathi would embellish the
theppam; the rest four days are for Sri Narasimhar, Sri Ramar, Sri Ranganathar
and Sri Varadarajar. In my young days, the tank was much bigger and would brim
with water – so the size of the float also would be much bigger. Now a days, the float is much smaller in size, the grandeur of the
festival has only increased though.
This year the Theppa Utsavam
began today on 1st March 2014 and here are some photos taken
during the Theppothsavam.
Adiyen Srinivasa Dhasan
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