Village deities of Tamil Nadu
Encyclopedia
Village deities of Tamil Nadu that do not belong to the Agamic
pantheon
of Hinduism
are found in almost all villages throughout India
and Tamil Nadu
in particular. They are known as Kaval deivam or guardian spirits in Tamil
. They are associated to a main deity who is generally ascribed as Kuladeivam by various sects of community and clan groups as part of the tracing their generation through centuries.
Most of these village deities have their shrines on the periphery (border or outskirts) of the village as a representation of their Village Guardian position. Hence they are referred as "Peripheral Folk Deity". 21 associate deities and 61 servant deities are located in either the same premises or located in different places of the locality, for e.g.: Amman
deities may be installed in the centre of the village but the Sonai, Sudalai or the Formless Nadukkal deities may be installed close to graveyard
s (cemeteries or burial and sometimes, also near memorial centres).
These Village deities are either represented in the form of a huge, fierce statue or as a simple stone. Most of these temples are not closed premises but are simple and small worship areas. Weapons such as a trident
or a lance
or sickle
s are also associated with these shrines.
We also see lots of terracotta horses, elephant
s, clay dolls & birds and bells. Most officiating priests are pandarams and derive from the local ancestral lineages that had initiated the cult centres generations ago. In ancient times most of the City priests were pandarams.Before Nayakkar rule Madurai Meenakshiamman temple pujas were performed by them.
The worship pattern is non-vedic through Folk tale, Folk Song and Folk arts (Villupattu, Karagam, Koothhu, etc.). The local priest might offer flowers or Veeputhi (holy ash) or Holy flowers to the worshippers and may play the oracle
role for shamanism
.(see pic here http://www.cbmphoto.co.uk/India/gardian.html)
have interesting stories behind them. Mainly these village gods come under one of the three categories:
There are other various Natural energy worship in the form of Muthaaramman, Muthalamman, Pachai Thanni Amman, Pachaiyamman, Pal Pazhakkari amman.
This category includes people who lived and lost their lives for their community and hence their community members still remember them and worship them. This group also includes persons who were killed by injustice and hence were worshipped in order to save the village from their wrath. The worship for the fallen brave warriors is one of the popular forms of worship. The early Tamil poetry 'Tolkappiyam
' gives an elaborate description in six stages in the planting of such a stone: beginning with looking for a suitable stone, until the institution of formal worship.
The portrait of the hero is often decorated with peacock feathers. Some poems refer to spear
s and shield
s erected around the planted stones. Offering of Naravam (toddy = alcohol) to the spirit of the fallen hero, represented in the planted stone, is mentioned in some verses. In time these “nadukals” became Ayyanar shrines. Other warrior gods include Madurai Veeran (who lived near Madurai), Kaathavarayan (who lived near Tanjavore) and Annammar swamigal (who lived near karur).
The "Thee paanch amman" temples in the northern part of Tamil Nadu
were basically built to worship widows who were burnt along with their husbands' funeral pyre as part of the "Sathi" or "Saathi" or "Sati
".
The “Maachani amman” temple at Polaachi was built to worship a young girl who was killed by a “Kongu” king since she unknowingly ate a mango
from his garden.
The “Palayanoor Neeli” was a girl who was betrayed and cunningly killed by her husband and who took revenge by killing him in her next birth. Further, several love pairs who have lost their lives due to caste animosity are also being worshipped as village deities in several villages.
Seelakari amman in various parts of South Tamil Nadu and Kannagi
worship are considered as a part of Sati stone worship system. These goddess are most revered female deities for their purity and chastity as they are considered as the prime focus of the way of Tamil women. Kanni amman and Pachai Amman are more common variants of female deities representing the characteristics of Purity and Chastity.
In general, Sati stones have not become part of the 21 sub-deities of Ayynar but at some places Seelakari amman is considered as part of 21 sub deities. A more detailed research is required to identify clear clarity on various sub-deities including Isakki Amman
, Sonai or Sonai Karuppu and others.
Any person who stood for justice and valiantly fought for justice or lost life for the cause of justice have become part of Hero Stone worship. The more prominent are Pandian Nedunchezhian of Silappadhikaram fame, becoming Pandi Muneeswar along with the support of Samayakaruppu. Maduari veeran and so many other stories run parallel to becoming Folk Deities worshipped by large following and becoming part of Kuladeivam cult.
Munishswaran
or Muniappan in olden days was associated with protecting people, drinking devil's blood, doing good things, bringing in good-effect, etc.
Peichi amman (“Pei” means devil) also covered under this form.
, Nallathangal - out of which various worships were created to remind the people not to commit or repeat the same social mistakes of the past. Purity and Chastity
of women were given more reverence and prominence. Chitra Pournami is celebrated grandly in memory of Sati women and Kannagi. Nallathangal and similar stories represent the poor familial support leading to the suicide
of womenfolk & children. These emphasize moral stories and not to repeat such mistakes again.
The third category contains certain less spoken characters in the great epics of Ramayana
and Mahabharata
. Like, there are many temples dedicated to Draupadi
(Panchali) and Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) in the Northern parts of Tamil Nadu. Temples dedicated Gandhari
(mother of the Kauravas), Kunti (mother of Pandavas) and Aravan
(the son of Arjuna
and the serpent princess Ulupi
) are found in Tamil Nadu.
These temples are usually in the open space and will not have traditional Gopuram
s like any other temples but in some villages like Sholanganallur and Puthur In Tiruchi district have Gopurams of their Kaval Deivangal for Kulumayee Amman and Ondi karuppannasamy. You can see big statues of Gods with weapons like bow and arrow, swords
, knives and other protective weapons. There also will be statues of Goddesses, and animals in these temples.
During the Tamil
Months of Karthikai (Sokka Paanai during Karthigai Dheepam); Thai (Thai poosam, Makar Jyothi of Ayyappan
); Masi (Masi Kalari - Shivarathiri); Panguni (Panguni Uthiram
considered as the auspicious birthday of Ayyanar
); Aadi (Aadi Perukku) and Vaigasi (Vaigasi Visakam), festivals will be conducted in these temples. Generally, a mass convention assembly of large number of related family member gathering is organized during the spring
season for a period of 2 to 3 days. For the annual mass convention festival, the tradition is that the commencement of the festival will be with that of a hoisting of the flag and tying "Kappu." After this time, villagers neither can go out of the village to different village or come into the village from a different village.
Mayana Pujai is mostly practiced in midnight during the worship of Irulappasamy or Sadalaisamy.
Of special mention is that of the traditional "Theru Koothu" and “Villu Pattu”; it is a dance-drama (Koothu) enacted on the street (Theru). The Koothu
performers dance and recite songs/ narrations which often end with moral quotes. Through these kind of performances, the villagers are told what is good and what is bad; also the do's and don'ts.
Since the earlier days, these were the only means of media that took messages to the people.
People who always had greater belief in God agreed with the decisions that was taken by the committee members. More importantly, it is the belief of the village people that the Karuppu samy God is being disguised in the form of the man who predicts the future. This belief system about Karuppu samy is called the "Arul vaaku" in several parts of Tamil Nadu. The social issues will be discussed through the temple
fore-tellers (Kodangi) whom the people usually consider as the voice of the Karuppa sami deity. When Lord Karuppa sami addresses the people in different villages through Kodangi, different issues and dimensions on social, cultural and psychological aspects of people and society are reviewed for possible solutions.
Worship of Goddess ANKAMMA: Ankamma is also known as Angamma, Ankalamma, Angalamma, Ankali, Angali, Ankala Parameswari, Angala Parameswari. She is worshipped with these names in Andhra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. Ankali and Kali are one and the same goddess. Ankamma is considered to be the mother of Trimurtis. The most important part of Ankamma Kolupu is that a midnight puja was performed with the help of ballads by making a colorful Rangoli with wheat flour, turmaric powder, kumkum, black charcoal powder, etc. At the end of the puja, the devotees sacrifice a goat. The devara kolupu / veerla kolupu is normally performed on some special occasions by individuals or by community as a whole. During the worship singers recite historical stories about warrior ancestors.
But in the later days, the bureaucratic society exploited the innocence of the people, which led to blind faiths that are being followed even these days without any real effort to address the problem for resolutions.
Āgama (Hinduism)
Agama means, in the Hindu context, "a traditional doctrine, or system which commands faith".In Hinduism, the Agamas are a collection of Sanskrit scriptures which are revered and followed by millions of Hindus.-Significance:...
pantheon
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
are found in almost all villages throughout India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in particular. They are known as Kaval deivam or guardian spirits in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. They are associated to a main deity who is generally ascribed as Kuladeivam by various sects of community and clan groups as part of the tracing their generation through centuries.
Shrine
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
deities may be installed in the centre of the village but the Sonai, Sudalai or the Formless Nadukkal deities may be installed close to graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
s (cemeteries or burial and sometimes, also near memorial centres).
These Village deities are either represented in the form of a huge, fierce statue or as a simple stone. Most of these temples are not closed premises but are simple and small worship areas. Weapons such as a trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
or a lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
or sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
s are also associated with these shrines.
We also see lots of terracotta horses, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s, clay dolls & birds and bells. Most officiating priests are pandarams and derive from the local ancestral lineages that had initiated the cult centres generations ago. In ancient times most of the City priests were pandarams.Before Nayakkar rule Madurai Meenakshiamman temple pujas were performed by them.
The worship pattern is non-vedic through Folk tale, Folk Song and Folk arts (Villupattu, Karagam, Koothhu, etc.). The local priest might offer flowers or Veeputhi (holy ash) or Holy flowers to the worshippers and may play the oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
role for shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
.(see pic here http://www.cbmphoto.co.uk/India/gardian.html)
Categories and Folk-Lores
The village deities in Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
have interesting stories behind them. Mainly these village gods come under one of the three categories:
Guardian deities
- Ayyannar
- Madurai Veeran
- Ondi karuppanna samy of Sholanganallur and Puthur Village In Tiruchi District of Tamil Nadu
- Kulumayee Amman Ellai Pidari Amman of Sholanganallur And Puthur village
- Maha Kali Amman of Sholanganallur Village
- Karuppanaar swamy (“Karuppu” means black in Tamil and is associated with dark, night, etc.). The typical varinats of Karuppu or 18 steps Karuppu, Sanglilikarupan, Maarnatu karuppu, Manda Karuppu, Munnadi Karuppu, Samaya Karuppu, Sinna Karuppu, Peria Karuppu, Sappani Karuppu, sonehkarupu etc.
- Kaateri amman (“Kaateri” means vampire)
- Sudalai Maadan swamy (“Sudalai” means burial ground/ pyre and “Sudalai maadan” means guardian of burial ground)
- KaliKali' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
or Kali Amman was considered as the causative force for cholera - MariMariammanMāri ,Tulu, also known as Mariamman , both meaning "Mother Mari", spelt also Maariamma , or simply Amman or Aatha is the South Indian Hindu goddess of disease and rain. She is the main South Indian mother goddess, predominant in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and...
was considered as a causative force for smallpox, chicken pox, mumps and measles (Maari in Tamil means rain. Since the rainfall cooled the otherwise hot area and protected people from summer sicknesses like viral infections, people started worshipping the rain goddess as Maari Amman) - MuniandiMuniandiMuniandi is a regional Tamil guardian deity. The deity Muniandi refers to the Munis wroshipped by the Tamil people. Munis are a class of guardian deities which are classified as Siva Gana. They are servants of the Supreme God Siva and his female half Sakthi. The Munis could be former warriors,...
- PeriyachiPeriyachiPeriyachi, Periyachee or Periachi, is a malevolent aspect of the Divine Mother in Hinduism. She is also known as Periyachi Amman and sometimes called as Periyachi Kali amman and she is associated with another ferocious goddess Kali. Periyachi is the protector of children and is associated with...
Amman: Guardian of children and mothers - Ellai amman or Ellai Maari Amman worshipped in many villages is actually a mile stone which demarcated the boundaries of two villages. In olden days, people when they travel from one village to another village started relaxing near these stones and in due course started praying to them for safe journey. Thus, slowly these milestones attained the position of village gods and goddesses.
There are other various Natural energy worship in the form of Muthaaramman, Muthalamman, Pachai Thanni Amman, Pachaiyamman, Pal Pazhakkari amman.
Hero Stones and Sati Stones
Hero stones (Nadukkal or Veerakkal) are the stones provided for the males who sacrifice their life for good causes. Sati stones are the stones provided for females who sacrificed their life for certain specific purpose, especially for chastity and purity.This category includes people who lived and lost their lives for their community and hence their community members still remember them and worship them. This group also includes persons who were killed by injustice and hence were worshipped in order to save the village from their wrath. The worship for the fallen brave warriors is one of the popular forms of worship. The early Tamil poetry 'Tolkappiyam
Tolkappiyam
The Tolkāppiyam is a work on the grammar of the Tamil language and the earliest extant work of Tamil literature. It is written in the form of noorpaa or short formulaic compositions and comprises three books - the Ezhuttadikaram, the Solladikaram and the Poruladikaram. Each of these books is...
' gives an elaborate description in six stages in the planting of such a stone: beginning with looking for a suitable stone, until the institution of formal worship.
The portrait of the hero is often decorated with peacock feathers. Some poems refer to spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s and shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
s erected around the planted stones. Offering of Naravam (toddy = alcohol) to the spirit of the fallen hero, represented in the planted stone, is mentioned in some verses. In time these “nadukals” became Ayyanar shrines. Other warrior gods include Madurai Veeran (who lived near Madurai), Kaathavarayan (who lived near Tanjavore) and Annammar swamigal (who lived near karur).
The "Thee paanch amman" temples in the northern part of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
were basically built to worship widows who were burnt along with their husbands' funeral pyre as part of the "Sathi" or "Saathi" or "Sati
Sati (practice)
For other uses, see Sati .Satī was a religious funeral practice among some Indian communities in which a recently widowed woman either voluntarily or by use of force and coercion would have immolated herself on her husband’s funeral pyre...
".
The “Maachani amman” temple at Polaachi was built to worship a young girl who was killed by a “Kongu” king since she unknowingly ate a mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
from his garden.
The “Palayanoor Neeli” was a girl who was betrayed and cunningly killed by her husband and who took revenge by killing him in her next birth. Further, several love pairs who have lost their lives due to caste animosity are also being worshipped as village deities in several villages.
Seelakari amman in various parts of South Tamil Nadu and Kannagi
Kannagi
Kannagi or , a legendary Tamil woman, is the central character of the South Indian epic Silapathikaram. Legend states that Kannagi took revenge on the King of Madurai, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan, by cursing the city with disaster.-The story:Kovalan, the son of a...
worship are considered as a part of Sati stone worship system. These goddess are most revered female deities for their purity and chastity as they are considered as the prime focus of the way of Tamil women. Kanni amman and Pachai Amman are more common variants of female deities representing the characteristics of Purity and Chastity.
In general, Sati stones have not become part of the 21 sub-deities of Ayynar but at some places Seelakari amman is considered as part of 21 sub deities. A more detailed research is required to identify clear clarity on various sub-deities including Isakki Amman
Isakki
Isakki or Isakkai is a Hindu Goddess of South India. She is generically considered one of the Village Goddesses, like Māri, the goddess of epidemics.She is commonly referred as Isakki Amman...
, Sonai or Sonai Karuppu and others.
Any person who stood for justice and valiantly fought for justice or lost life for the cause of justice have become part of Hero Stone worship. The more prominent are Pandian Nedunchezhian of Silappadhikaram fame, becoming Pandi Muneeswar along with the support of Samayakaruppu. Maduari veeran and so many other stories run parallel to becoming Folk Deities worshipped by large following and becoming part of Kuladeivam cult.
Gods to tame Evil and Devil Forces and converting to good powers
There were Forces or elements which the people were scared of.Munishswaran
Munishswaran
Munishswaran is a Tamil folk deity popular in northern Tamil Nadu, India. He is a male deity usually depicted as three stones or just one stone with religious marking. The deity is considered a family or village guardian...
or Muniappan in olden days was associated with protecting people, drinking devil's blood, doing good things, bringing in good-effect, etc.
Peichi amman (“Pei” means devil) also covered under this form.
Legends from Disastrous Social Events
These legends include social suppression stories such as KannagiKannagi
Kannagi or , a legendary Tamil woman, is the central character of the South Indian epic Silapathikaram. Legend states that Kannagi took revenge on the King of Madurai, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan, by cursing the city with disaster.-The story:Kovalan, the son of a...
, Nallathangal - out of which various worships were created to remind the people not to commit or repeat the same social mistakes of the past. Purity and Chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
of women were given more reverence and prominence. Chitra Pournami is celebrated grandly in memory of Sati women and Kannagi. Nallathangal and similar stories represent the poor familial support leading to the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of womenfolk & children. These emphasize moral stories and not to repeat such mistakes again.
Genesis of Vedic connections
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. Like, there are many temples dedicated to Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
(Panchali) and Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) in the Northern parts of Tamil Nadu. Temples dedicated Gandhari
Gandhari (character)
Gāndhārī is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. In the epic, she was an incarnation of Mati, as the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara, or the modern Kandahar, a region spanning northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, from which her name is derived...
(mother of the Kauravas), Kunti (mother of Pandavas) and Aravan
Iravan
Iravan , also known as Iravat and Iravant, is a minor character from the Hindu epic of Mahabharata. The son of Pandava prince Arjuna and the Naga princess Ulupi, Iravan is the central god of the cult of Kuttantavar —which is also the name commonly given to him in that cult—and plays a major role...
(the son of Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
and the serpent princess Ulupi
Ulupi
Ulūpī or Uloopi, in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was one of Arjuna's wives. While Arjuna was in Manipur, the widow Naga princess became infatuated with him. She caused him to be abducted after he had been intoxicated with potent concoctions and had him conveyed to her realm in the netherworld. ...
) are found in Tamil Nadu.
Typical Temples for "Kaval Deivangal" or Guardian Angels
These deities are always found in the outskirts of the Village. The maintenance of the temple of these deities is taken care by the whole of the village. It is believed that these Gods shoo away all evils and devils from entering the village.These temples are usually in the open space and will not have traditional Gopuram
Gopuram
A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial...
s like any other temples but in some villages like Sholanganallur and Puthur In Tiruchi district have Gopurams of their Kaval Deivangal for Kulumayee Amman and Ondi karuppannasamy. You can see big statues of Gods with weapons like bow and arrow, swords
Swords
A sword is a cutting/thrusting weapon made of metal. Sword or swords may also refer to:* Swords, County Dublin, Ireland* Suit of swords, a suit in Latin-suited playing cards and Tarot decks* SWORDS, a ground-based military robot...
, knives and other protective weapons. There also will be statues of Goddesses, and animals in these temples.
Festivals
During the Tamil month of Masi and Panguni, Kulumayee Amman Festival is celebrated in Puthur and Sholnganallur villages in Tiruchi District of Tamil Nadu. During that time Marulali of the respective village suck the blood of the Goats with the blessings of Ondi Karuppu.During the Tamil
Tamil calendar
The Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
Months of Karthikai (Sokka Paanai during Karthigai Dheepam); Thai (Thai poosam, Makar Jyothi of Ayyappan
Ayyappan
Ayyappan is a Hindu deity worshiped in a number of shrines across India. Ayyappan is believed to be an incarnation of Dharma Sastha, who is the son of Shiva and Vishnu . The name "Ayyappan" is used as a respectful form of address in the Malayalam language, spoken in the Indian state of Kerala...
); Masi (Masi Kalari - Shivarathiri); Panguni (Panguni Uthiram
Panguni Uthiram
-Panguni Uthiram :Panguni Uthiram is a day of importance to Tamil Hindus. It falls on the day the moon transits in the asterism or nakshatram of Uttara-phalguni or Uthiram in the twelfth month of the Tamil solar calendar i.e. Panguni...
considered as the auspicious birthday of Ayyanar
Ayyanar
Ayyanar is a Hindu village god, worshipped predominantly in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Tamil villages in Sri Lanka. He is primarily worshipped as a guardian deity who protects the rural villages...
); Aadi (Aadi Perukku) and Vaigasi (Vaigasi Visakam), festivals will be conducted in these temples. Generally, a mass convention assembly of large number of related family member gathering is organized during the spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
season for a period of 2 to 3 days. For the annual mass convention festival, the tradition is that the commencement of the festival will be with that of a hoisting of the flag and tying "Kappu." After this time, villagers neither can go out of the village to different village or come into the village from a different village.
Mayana Pujai is mostly practiced in midnight during the worship of Irulappasamy or Sadalaisamy.
Of special mention is that of the traditional "Theru Koothu" and “Villu Pattu”; it is a dance-drama (Koothu) enacted on the street (Theru). The Koothu
Koothu
Koothu , means dance or performance in Tamil language, is a folk art originated from the early Tamil country. But more precisely Koothu refers Therukoothu that is street dance or street play since it will be performed village squares. At early age the art of entertainment reached its peak in...
performers dance and recite songs/ narrations which often end with moral quotes. Through these kind of performances, the villagers are told what is good and what is bad; also the do's and don'ts.
Since the earlier days, these were the only means of media that took messages to the people.
People who always had greater belief in God agreed with the decisions that was taken by the committee members. More importantly, it is the belief of the village people that the Karuppu samy God is being disguised in the form of the man who predicts the future. This belief system about Karuppu samy is called the "Arul vaaku" in several parts of Tamil Nadu. The social issues will be discussed through the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
fore-tellers (Kodangi) whom the people usually consider as the voice of the Karuppa sami deity. When Lord Karuppa sami addresses the people in different villages through Kodangi, different issues and dimensions on social, cultural and psychological aspects of people and society are reviewed for possible solutions.
Worship of Goddess ANKAMMA: Ankamma is also known as Angamma, Ankalamma, Angalamma, Ankali, Angali, Ankala Parameswari, Angala Parameswari. She is worshipped with these names in Andhra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. Ankali and Kali are one and the same goddess. Ankamma is considered to be the mother of Trimurtis. The most important part of Ankamma Kolupu is that a midnight puja was performed with the help of ballads by making a colorful Rangoli with wheat flour, turmaric powder, kumkum, black charcoal powder, etc. At the end of the puja, the devotees sacrifice a goat. The devara kolupu / veerla kolupu is normally performed on some special occasions by individuals or by community as a whole. During the worship singers recite historical stories about warrior ancestors.
But in the later days, the bureaucratic society exploited the innocence of the people, which led to blind faiths that are being followed even these days without any real effort to address the problem for resolutions.
See also
- Muruga
- UrumeeUrumeeThe urumee is a double-headed hourglass-shaped drum from the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. Two skin heads are attached to a single hallow, often intricately carved wooden shell. The preferred wood is jackwood, although other wood may be used...
- a Folk musical instrument used in festivals and as an instrument of getting into trance. - VeeramanidasanVeeramanidasanVeeramani Dasan is an Indian singer of devotional songs.Earlier Dasan had a light music troupe, Sruti Laya. But now it is devotional singing most of the way. He has sung for a couple of films too...
- popular Tamil devotional singer.