Kapali Brahmotsavam off

The virus that is bringing the country to a standstill has resulted in the calling off of one of the biggest Utsavams in the Temple calendar in Madras, the annual Panguni Brahmotsavam at  the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore. This was confirmed by a temple official a short while back. Talking over phone to this writer, the person said that the Utsavam has been officially cancelled. The Chariot Procession attracts tens of thousands of devotees as does the procession of the 63 Nayanmars. The Utsavam was scheduled to start March 28.

If the situation improves, the temple could consider holding the festival next month with Thiru Kalyanam taking place on Chitrai Pournami. But that is a long shot for now as the scenario looks quite bleak at the moment.

The Pradhosham which falls this Saturday will also be a quite event with only the Priests and the Othuvars involved in the Pooja process/ Thevaram recital.

Long Trips across the Cauvery
The Panguni Utsavam at the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam scheduled to start next weekend is one of the four Brahmotsavams at the temple and is the one in the year when Lord Namperumal goes on his two longest processions of the year. The big highlight of the Panguni Utsavam is on the Panguni Uthiram day when Lord Namperumal makes his way to the Ranganayaki Thayar Sannidhi for the only day in the year when he provides a joint darshan through the night at the Serthi Mandapam. This is scheduled of April 6 this year.

While Pon Jayaraman, the JC of the Temple said that the temple has called for a meeting of the service personnel tomorrow and that an official decision regarding the Panguni Utsavam would be taken after the meeting, a senior priest at the temple said that there would be no outside procession this year at least till 31st March. As per the Government directive, not more than 30 people can assemble. At the moment, on the first three days of the festival, Lord Namperumal would come to the Vahana Mandapam / Ranga Vilas Mandapam where he would be mounted on the Vahana of the day and remain stationary there to listen to the Ghosti presentation. At least for the first three days of the festival i.e till 31st March, there would be no devotees allowed inside the temple.

While the festival may not be called off like in Kapali temple, the night long annual trip to Jeeyapuram (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/03/srirangam-namperumal-jeeyapuram-utsavam.html) and another trip  to Uraiyur for the Serthi Utsavam at hte Kamalavalli Nachiyar Divya Desam (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/05/108-divya-desam-uraiyur.html) crossing the Cauvery are unlikely to take place this year. Both of these trips require the support of over 100 Sri Patham Thangis to carry the Lord during the procession that lasts several hours and that kind of large gathering is currently against the Government directive.

Panguni Uthiram (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2015/04/panguni-uthiram-debate-srirangam.html) attracts at least one lakh devotees and runs through the night with Lord Namperumal and Ranganayaki Thayar providing Serthi Darshan. It is the one day in the year when Lord Namperumal makes his way to the Thayar Sannidhi. The morning after the Serthi Lord Namperumal goes around the Chitra Streets on a Chariot Procession. Given the current scenario in the country, it is almost certain that these two events in Panguni will not take place this year. Even if it does, it is likely to be only a toned down version.

The annual Brahmotsavam at Pullam Bhoothangudi Valvil Ramar Divya Desam and at Ramaswamy Temple Kumbakonam will be among the many Rama Navami Utsava processions that will be called off.