Thiruther - Sri Thelliya Singar Thiruvallikkeni 2015

Sri AzhagiyaSingarThiruther at Thiruvallikkeni2015

இன்று  2^nd July 2015-  ஏழாம் நாள் உத்சவம் -  காலை திருத்தேர்.  On the 7^th day of Uthsavam is the grand  Car Festival (Thiruther).  Early Morning Sri AzhagiyaSingar with UbayaNachimars ascended the Thiruther.  The purappadu began at around 07.30 am ~ and swiftly ended around 09.30 am.

The big Chariot in Thiruvallikkenioccurs  twice every year.  First duing the Brahmothsavam of Sri Parthasarathi, the charioteer of Arjuna aka Parthan.   The Ther is not very big but is majestic ~ it has wheels made of iron steel – the madaveethis are recently laid with concrete -  the Urgolamconcludes in less than 2 hours with most of the time being taken at street corners where turn has to be negotiated.  In some Temples, the Ther has hydraulic breaks also ~ not in Triplicane – here it  is stopped using wooden  wedges. Remember Temple Thers [chariots] do not have steering for turning the wheel ~ it is done through deft usage of  ‘sliding wedges’, known as ‘muttukattai’.   In Street corners, they push the chariot using the ‘crow bar’ technique

The Ther festival combines all people ~ it engages so many.  In villages, people will not move out of the village when there is the Car festival ~ all the people will join together to pull the Chariot….. atThiruvallikkeni – it is grand festivity… hundreds will come to pull; the streets would be decorated with beautiful kolams, at many places – buttermilk and  panagam [jaggery water] [now a days – cool drinks] would be served to devotees.It is a great pleasure to see the movement of Chariot with its big wheels gliding smoothly and the top portion slowly swinging.   In some places huge vadam made of coir rope is used to pull – at Thiruvallikkeni this ‘pull string’ [thervadam] is made of steel and would weigh heavily.

Lord ThelliyaSingar remains on the Thiruther  till evening during which time Bakthas can ascend and have darshan.  In the evening there would be usual ‘pathiulavuthal’ and purappadu, after which ‘thottathirumanjanam’ would take place.  This used to happen in the cool VasanthaMantapam situate inVenkataRangam Street – unfortunately, this is no longer there and thirumanjanam takes place in the temple itself.

Here are some photos of the Thirutherpurappadu.                      AdiyenSrinivasadhasan