Kapali Temple Aruthra Utsavam

It’s just past 7pm on Saturday (Dec 18) evening. Othuvar Sathgurunathar, with Othuvar Vageesan by his side, is all set to present each of the verses of Manickavachakar’s Thiruvembavai on the third and concluding day of the Oonjal Utsavam in front of the Navarathri Mandapam at the Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple. 

It is a fairly sizeable crowd that has gathered either side of Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal to listen to Othuvar’s devotional presentation of Pon Oosal verses of Manickavachakar’s praise of Utharakosamangai, a Paadal Petra Sthalam near Ramanathapuram.

Over an hour later, it’s time for the Pancha Moorthy Procession on the eve of the Aruthra Utsavam at the Kapaleesawarar temple. Very few devotees are aware that this will be a procession around the four Mada Streets for the temple authorities had not let this news out. The permission from the Corporation had been secured by them and it is a very big moment for it is the first big Temple street procession in the city in nine months. Restrictions had been placed on street processions in the state since the breakout of the second wave of Covid 19.

The conches blow, the beating of the drums leads the procession and as is the norm these days, the cell phones rise high above the head to capture the deities. 

The Deepa Aradhanai at the Raja Gopuram is a sacred moment and the hundred odd devotees who have gathered there are all excited as the Lord turned towards the 16 Pillar Mandapam. Since March this year, it had only been processions inside the temple. More devotees join in to watch the snake dance presentation by the Sri Patham in front of the Raja Gopuram. A devotee enquires as to why he had not been alerted earlier regarding the street procession.

The shop owners on the East Mada Street are all delighted to welcome Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal at their door step. Devotees who are shopping at the South Mada Street are quite surprised to see a procession of Lord and Ambal, for no one has been a witness to a temple street procession for a major part of this year. They are even more surprised to hear that this is part of the Aruthra Utsavam celebrations for they are of the view that Margazhi Thiruvathirai falls on Monday with the celebration at the Chidambaram Sabha Nayakar temple slated for that day. She is told that it is a day earlier at the Kapali temple as was also seen with the opening day of Margazhi which was celebrated on Dec 15.

It is a fairly quick procession around the four streets and the deities are back at the 16 pillar mandapam in an hour. The Sripatham perform another dance in front of the Pillayar Sannidhi following the presentation of Neivedyam. 

None of the regulars leave the temple for it is just the start of the night long celebration.  Shortly after 10pm, the Pancha Moorthy idols are back and once the Artha Jaama Pooja is done with at the Swami Sannidhi, it is time for Nataraja and Sivakami to make their way to the Thiru Kalyana Mandapam at the East end of the temple.

It is a slow paced and beautiful step by step half hour procession inside the temple with Nataraja showcasing to the devotees his dancing skills to the tune of the music that is being played out. There are at least a hundred devotees in front of the Saneeswarar Sannidhi watching another presentation of the Snake dance. It is well past 10.30pm when Sivakami, followed by Nataraja enter the Thiru Kalyana Mandapam with hereditary priest Balaji Gurukal welcoming the couple for the Alankaram ahead of the midnight Abhisekam.

It had been a devotionally exciting four hours at the Kapaleeswarar temple and the Pancha Moorthy Procession on the four Mada Streets has given the devotees in the city the hope that this will be start of resumption of street processions in all temples in the city.