This year, I had the chance to experience thaipusam in the south of India, in Tamil Nadu
Devaraj Shankara Moothoosamy
Chennai, India
A mere mention of the word thaipūsam and anybody’s thoughts in Mauritius is carried to colourful processions of devotees walking barefoot along the, sometimes scorching streets of the island, carrying on their shoulders the kāvaḍi decked with flowers, herbs, peacock feathers, small brass bells accompanied by loud chants of Haro hara!, all converging to their chosen Murugan Kovil. Thaipusam, for the Tamil and larger Hindu communities of the country is a time of fasting, penance, of prayer, of communion, and feasting after the prayers. The knowledge of this religious observance and celebration has been inherited some two hundred or so years ago from the early Tamil immigrants on the island, undoubtedly because the day holds high spiritual significance. The term Thaipusam is a combination of the word thai, which is the 10th month of the tamil calendar, and the word pūsam (pushya), being a nakshtram (lunar mansion). The occurrence of pūsa nakshatram in the month of thai, is known as Thaipūsam. Sages and siddhās of yore have declared the day to be auspicious and propitious for spiritual observances, based on the natural cosmic effervecense.
This year, I had the chance to experience thaipusam in the south of India, in Tamil Nadu – the modern geographical area that erstwhile gave birth to a majestically grand, profound, and vast culture; that of the Tamils. Tamil Nadu is a land of temples, boasting of more than 300 thousand official temples, many tracing their roots to thousands of years in history. In the lap of this same land, my experience of thaipusam has been all but unique.
Practicing the kāvaḍi during thaipusam is said to have originated in Pazhani, arguably the most famous Murugan temple in India and across the globe. The story of Iḍumban, carrying two hills tied to a pole and consequently being humbled by a small boy with a loincloth is said to have occurred here. I was in Pazhani a few weeks before Thaipusam, but the mood was already electric. People walking for 100s of kilometres were converging to the shrine dancing, singing, many clad in the kāvi colour of renunciation, but many also doted in the green hue so characteristic of those on pilgrimage to Murugan temples. Hundreds of thousands of people flocked the temple everyday, some only to have a darśanam (divine sight) of Lord Muruga, for only 5 minutes, but drenched in so much grace, expressed through their content smiles and gaiety. From Pazhani, I parcoured many Murugan temples and specially the six major ones known as the ārupaḍai vīḍu.
But my sharing here, is about the other dimension of Thaipūsam, that most probably most of us in Mauritius would not be aware of. And that other dimension, is precisely what brings forth the highly auspicious nature of this sacred day and it is not related solely to the kāvaḍi.
Long ago, in a mangrove forest known as thillai vanam, two great sages, named Patanjali and Vyāghrapāda, worshipped lord śiva in the forma of a swayambhu (self-manifested) lingam with a deep wish to witness his cosmic dance. They did penance for thousands of years. Moved by the strong faith and utmost devotion of these sages, Lord śiva appeared before them and performed his all-encompassing dance of bliss known as the ānanda tāndavam. This most special occurrence happened on a Thaipūsam at a precise spot today known as Chidambaram (the hall of consciousness), where is enshrined Lord Natarāja. Each year, on Thaipūsam at Chidambaram, a grand festival takes place in honour of this event. I can still vividly recall the priest of the temple recounting this purānic episode, while we were having a darśanam of ādimulanatha – the same lingam the two sages worshipped eons ago.
Around 145 kms, further southwest of Chidambaram lies another magnificent temple citadel. If Chidambaram is heralded as the greatest temple to Lord śiva, śrirangam would be an equivalent temple to lord viṣnu. The Ranganāthaswāmy temple of śrirangam is said to be the biggest functioning hindu temple in India, and it houses an impressive murthi of the lord in a sleeping posture. While walking the long alleys towards the main shrine, the festive atmosphere was palpable and rightly so, the 11 days Thaipūsam temple festival was in full swing. The major highlight of Thaipūsam at śrirangam is the ‘ther’ festival where a huge chariot carrying the festival idol of lord viṣnu, named namperumāl is taken around the streets. We were guided around śrirangam by a pious, retired bank manager who was so gracious to unravel the small details around the ranganāthaswāmy kovil; during the eleven days long Thaipūsam festival he stands in an altar facing his beloved, goddess lakṣmi, known ranganāyaki thāyār. I had been here before, but each visit remains a discovery.
Driving a little further from śrirangam, we could see the streets already brimming with pilgrims walking to another shrine, clad in yellow and red, most of them carrying offerings of rice on the head, some with tongues pierced with huge hooks hanging on both sides. Many were also carrying a pot with fire and often entranced by the beats of the uḍḍukkai and pambai, both ancient ritualistic percussion instruments of the tamil land. They were walking towards the shrine of the famous samayapuram māriamman. Thaipusam at this shrine is a major festival, starting with the flag hoisting ceremony known as koḍi etram and goes on for ten days with processions, grand fire oblations and ending with the goddess taking sacred ablutions in the kāveri river some hundred metres away. When temple festivals occur, devotees use the occasion to do pilgrimage, to do penance and connect deeper to their cherished temple.
Most of the countless temples I have been to during this trip were in celebration of Thaipusam. Some had full scale 10 days festivals, while others were preparing to mark the Thaipusam day by some ceremony or procession. Another interesting Thaipusam feature in temples of Tamil Nadu is the boat festival known as theppotsavam, where deities are taken on a majestic ride on the theppakulam (temple tank), which are usually full following the rainy December/ early January season. One beautiful example is the grand boat festival at Madurai, where the royal mīnākṣi and sundareshwarar along with the retinue enjoy boat rides on the gigantic māriamman thepakulam.
We see here, all major streams of the hindu tradition celebrating this highly auspicious and sacred day through different ways. Across all the temples I have visited, the enthusiasm, zeal and happiness in observing thaipusam was very much present. Some in honour of lord śiva, some in honour of lord viṣnu, some in honour of devi and at all murugan temples, in honour of the great lord. This is a strong reminder of the powerful nature of this most spiritually conducive of days. While we perfom the kāvaḍi in Mauritius to mark Thaipūsam, the essence of it goes much deeper. It one of those significant days of the year, where nature allows us to harmonise mind, body and soul and discover our more profound aspects. A celebration of the outer that brings focus on the inner. Whether, through the kāvaḍi, long and arduous pilgrimage or participation in grand temple festivals, or personal sadhana and meditation far from crowds, Thaipūsam, through splendid diversity, beautifully unites millions of souls, of seekers, in search of the ultimate, each at their own pace. In this most special of journeys, this is what India has delivered to us.
