Thaipoosam - A Kavadi Utsavam

                                                            Thaipoosam

                                                              

The Poosam nakshatram that occurs during the Thai month is believed to be very special. The month of Thai is also called Makara Masam. It is symbolic of the End. The sound of Aum is the joining of A, Oo and Mm. On the day of Thai Poosam, at the time of sunrise, the moon will also be visible. It is a rare occurrence that is symbolic of our merging of our soul with the supreme being.
In Palani, it is the chant of Velmuruga Arokara all the way. Thousands of devotees take the Kavadi and their chorus of Arokara while they climb up the mountain is a sight to watch.

Skanda (or Murugan) was created during one of the battles between the Asuras (Surapadman) and the Devas. The Devas were unable to resist the onslaught of the Asura forces and approached Shiva for help. They surrendered themselves completely and prayed to Shiva. Shiva granted their request by creating the mighty warrior, Skanda, out of his own power or Achintya Shakti. He at once assumed leadership of the celestial forces, inspired them and defeated the Asura forces and to recognize that day people created the festival.

At many south Indian temples trenches of burning coals is laid out for devotees to walk over. People who volunteer to undertake this experience with faith, come away unharmed and unscathed.Kavadi Attam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan.It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan.
Once in a year these seven screens are removed and devotees are blessed with Jyothi Dharshan on thaipoosam day. In the early morning of this  uspicious day to the utter amazement of the devotees, the Sun, the Jyothi and the moon are seen in the same line. One could see these three together. Sun represents Ida nadi and the moon pingala nadi. If there is harmonious flow of breath in the nostrils which represents these two nadis the third eye is opened. This is the culmination of all spiritual activities. More than ten lakhs devotees throng to witness this rare phenomenon. From our trust we make staying arrangements, give annandhanam and conduct satsangs for the devotees.

The number of kavadis reaching Palani for Thai Pusam is about ten thousand. For Pankuni Uttiram, fifty thousand kavadis arrive. It is kavadi to your right, kavadi to your left, kavadi in front of you, kavadi behind you, kavadi above you and kavadi below you.
The kavadis are borne by common folk as well as by millionaires who are otherwise confined to their air-conditioned suites. They all come walking (without footwear) in groups from their homes at a distance of about a hundred miles while scores and scores of empty limousines follow them. Crowds line the entire route, cheer the kavadi bearers and offer them tender coconut drinks in praise of their display of courage and determination


 Story of Thai Poosam :-

                                   

It is believed that on this day Lord Murugan set of to destroy Tharakasuran who had been creating a lot of trouble for the priests and saints. He carried 12 weapons with him. 11 of them were given to him by Lord Shiva and one weapon that is the ‘Vel’ or ‘Holy Lance’ was given to him by Mother Parvati. He was able to defeat Tharakasura and destroy the asuras with this weapon and emerged victorious. Therefore, this day is celebrated as a victory of good over evil. On this day the devotees of Lord Murugan offer him fruits and flowers that are yellow of orange in color as these are his favourite colors. The also cover him and adorn him in clothes made of these colors. Also, Lord Murugan is placed on a silver chariot and a procession takes place on this day. Another famous ritual performed on this day is the ‘Kavadi’.


Legend:-

                                          

The legend behind this ritual is that Lord Shiva had given two hills – Shivagiri hill and Shaktigiri hill to Sage Agastya and asked him to place it in south India. The Sage asked his disciple Idumban to carry the hills to their destination. The disciple used a beam and attached the two hills on each end. He then carried the beam on his shoulder. After covering half of the journey he put down the beam with the hills to take rest. After sometime he got up to resume his journey and was unable to move the hills as they had become too heavy. As he was trying to pick up the hills he saw a boy before him and sought his help. The boy refused saying that the hills belonged to him. This annoyed Idumban and a fight broke out between him and the boy. During the fight Idumban realised that the boy was none other than Lord Murugan. He (Murugan) had been the one to increase the weight of the hills. Idumban was killed in the fight. But Murugan showed mercy and revived Idumban who then became his greatest devotee. So on this day anyone who carries Kavadi (weight signifying the two hills) on their shoulder to the temple of Lord Murugan received his blessings.

Significance of Kavadi:-

                                           

On the day of the festival these devotees have to walk to the Murugan temple carrying a form of Kavadi. At its simplest the devotees can carry a pot of milk and flowers hanging from a wooden beam on each end. The load of the kavadi can be increased by increasing the objects that the devotee carries. Carrying this burden signifies their strength and will. The kavadis are decorated with flowers
and peacock feathers (Peacock is the vehicle of Lord Murugan). They are also attached with bells to announce the presence of the Kavadi bearer as the bearers are required to remain silent throughout the journey. Some devout people walk barefoot and collect materials for their Kadavi by stopping at every house. The people who provide the materials also receive the blessings. Some fanatical devotees go to the extent of hurting their bodies to appease the lord. They pierce their bodies with hooks, skewers, and small lances (vel). They pierce their tongue and cheeks to prevent speech and hence attain full concentration on the lord. Some of the devotee’s even pull chariots with the hooks attached to their bodies. Doing these things they are able to enter a stage of trance where they don’t feel any pain.
The following things can be offered or carried as Kavadi by the devotees-
•Milk which signifies good life and prosperity
•Coconut which signifies conceiving
•Honey which signifies honesty and truth
•Lime which represents our enemies
•Rose water which represents wealth and success in life
•Ghee which signifies freedom and letting go of things.
•Turmeric powder which represents our worries and the debts we have.
•Flowers which signify progress in life.
•Holy ash which signify the blessings of the lord.
•Sour Milk which signifies sickness and bad things.

Kavadi Attam:-


                                               

The Kavadi Attam ("Burden Dance", also written as cavadee) is the ceremonial sacrifice and offering performed by devotees during the worship of Murugan, the Hindu God of War. It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasises debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan. Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting approximately 48 days before Thaipusam. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God. On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common. The simplest kavadi is a semicircular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks.".Please also check Nagarathar Kavadi which is very famous.

What is Meant by Kavady:-

                                     

 It is a Tamil word meaning flattened pole with loads at the ends. The Kavady carried in a religious procession also has a pole with a semi circular arch. The arch is decorated with flowers and palm leaves. The loads attached to the ends of the pole are brass vessels filled with milk or other offerings. Peacock feathers and a vel are also attached.
 A brass pot filled with milk can also be carried for Lord Muruga as an offering and it is called “Paal Kodum”.
One question which is often asked by devotees is can I fast for Kavady without carrying a Kavady.
 The answer to this question is definitely “YES”. One does not have to only carry a Kavady to show devotion to Lord Muruga. By observing the 10 day fast and attending the 10 day prayer at the temple is also seen as devotion towards Lord Muruga. Devotees please remember it is your love and devotion towards the Lord that is important.

Celebrations :-

In Palani:-

In Palani, Tamil Nadu, India, Thai Pusam is celebrated with grandeur. Thousands of devotees flock to Palani and attend kavadi. According to palani.org, "The number of kavadis reaching Palani for Thai Pusam is about 10,000. For Pankuni Uttiram, 50,000 kavadis arrive. It is kavadi to your right, kavadi to your left, kavadi in front of you, kavadi behind you, kavadi above you and kavadi below you."

In  Kerala:-

In Vaikom, Kerala, India, Thai Pusam festival is conducted with Kaavadis at Udayanapuram Subramanya temple. Devotees take panchamritha kaavadi, paal kaavadi, bhasma kaavadi etc.
In Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, Thai Pusam festival is conducted at Satyavageeswara temple. The utsava moorthy is taken in procession on a vahanam(mount). There is nel(Paddy)parai alappu or Nel alavu, as a ritual performed for good luck and prosperity.

The largest Thaipusam celebrations take place in Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia. It is a public holiday in several states in Malaysia, including Selangor, Penang, Perak, Johor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur.

In Thaipusam in Southeast Asia:-

The largest Thaipusam celebrations take place in Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia. It is a public holiday in several states in Malaysia, including Selangor, Penang, Perak, Johor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur.
Thaipusam celebrations in Malaysia and Singapore are known for their festive fervor. The most famous Kavadi pilgrimage on the Thaipusam day takes place at the Batu Caves in Malaysia, where a large number of devotees head towards the Murugan temple in procession carrying the 'Kavadi'. This festival attracts over a million people each year at the Batu Caves, near Kuala Lampur, which houses several Hindu shrines and the 42.7 meter high statue of Lord Murugan that was unveiled in January 2006. Pilgrims need to climb 272 steps to access the temple on the hilltop. Many foreigners also take part in this Kavadi pilgrimage. Notable among them are Australian Carl Vedivella Belle, who has been taking part in the pilgrimage for more than a decade, and German Rainer Krieg, who went on his first Kavadi in the 1970s.
The temple at Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur, often attracts over one million devotees and tens of thousands of tourists. The procession to the caves starts at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur in the heart of the city and proceeds for 15 kilometers to the caves, an 8-hour journey culminating in a flight of 272 steps to the top.
In Malaysia, although rare, scenes of people from different ethnic groups and faiths bearing "kavadi" can also be seen. Interestingly, Thaipusam is also increasingly being celebrated by the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. Thaipusam is also celebrated at another cave site, the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunong Cheroh, Ipoh, Perak and at the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple along Jalan Waterfall in Penang. Temple secretary P. Palaiya Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunong Cheroh reported that about 250,000 devotees participated in the festival 2007, including 300 kavadi bearers, while 15,000 came with milk offerings.

Rituals Followed By Devotees:-

Before the devotees can do Kadavi they have to follow certain rules and prepare themselves for it. The preparation starts 48 days before the festival. They have to rid themselves of all the mental and physical impurities. To attain that purification they follow rules which are as follows-
•Eating only vegetarian food.
•Refraining from any kind of intoxicating drug or alcohol.
•Thinking and praying to the god all the time.
•Abstinence from any form of sexual activity.
•Refraining from indulging in any form of desire or pleasure.
•Sleeping on the floor and not using the luxuries.
•Shaving of the head.
After doing these things the person must maintain a 24 hour fast a day before the day of the festivals. As the devotees face these things they attain purification and removal from evil thoughts and actions. Its also a form of sacrifice for Lord Murugan. They prepare themselves by sacrificing the pleasures and luxuries and leading a simple life.

Body Piercing on Thaipusam:-

 Many fanatical devotees go to such extent as to torture their bodies to appease the Lord. So, a major feature of Thaipusam celebrations is body piercing with hooks, skewers and small lances called 'vel'.
Many of these devotees even pull chariots and heavy objects with hooks attached to their bodies. Many others pierce their tongue and cheek to impede speech and thereby attain full concentration on the Lord. Most devotees enter into a trance during such piercing due to the incessant drumming and chanting of "vel vel shakti vel."


Lord Muruga is responsible for the success and knowledge in one's life which is needed to realise Enlightenment. Pujas are the spiritual scientific methods to achieve completion with the higher energy.

 Benefits in Perfoming Thaipoosam:-

◦Prosperity in Family
◦Healing of Physical Ailments
◦Longevity and Well Being
◦Success in Exams and Competitions
◦Abundance in knowledge and intelligence.

Types of Kavadies:-

Various Kavadies one can carry
 Manjal (turmeric powder)/worries and debts
 Pushpa (Flowers)/ progress and success
 Paal (Milk)/ Good life and prosperity
 Thayier (Sour milk)/sickness
 Illanier (tender coconut)/conceiving
 Then (Honey)/truthfulness and honesty
 Ellemichaai (Lime)/enemies
 Vibhoothi (Holy ash)/blessings
 Panier (Rose water)/ wealth and progress
 Ney (Ghee) liberation
 Meaning of the following?
 Vetri-vel – The Vel of victory
 Haragarogara – Hail, Hail, Hail Oh Lord

Thaipoosam Mantra:-

The six-syllabled mantra chanted for Lord Muruga
OM SARAVANABAVA NAMAHA/POTRI
 SA – CONFERS THE PROSPERITY OF SHAKTI
 RA – GIVES THE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE
 VA – BESTOWS HAPPINESS OF ENJOYMENT
 NA – PROTECT FROM ALL FORCES OF EVIL
 BA – CONFERS MORALITY
 VA – CONFERS THE LIFE OF BLESSEDNESS

Prasadam For This Festival:-

Chana Dal Payasam / kheer is yet another exotic payasam recipe, that tastes delicious & unique...!
 It is commonly prepared in South Indian households during poojas, festivals & family functions. 
 This occasion falls on the  Poosam  Natchathiram  on the full moon day of the  month  of  Thai.   In this auspicious day, special prayers are offered at Murugan & Amman temples.
The star ingredient of this payasam is  bengal  gram dal. We know bengal gram is very high in protein & very low in glyceminc index.  This payasam tastes bit different & so yummy from the other payasam varieties as we use jaggery & coconut milk in it.