Midnight musings; rishabha-vahanam

I walked from home in Alwarpet at 10.40 for the rishaba vahanam procession at Sri Kapali Temple. The roads were deserted save for an auto near Sai Baba Temple.

I saw women drawing kolams on the road in front of Vasantha Bhavan restaurant in South Mada Street. ’Kabali kaga kolam podaren’, one said. The other replied ‘Kabali nu summa sollade; Yaro rowdy ya sollara madiri irukku. Kabaleeswar vararu nu sollu’

Sri Veleeswaran Koil also had lighting decoration on the gopuram.

We reached the gopuravasal by 11.05 p.m. and could get only a glimpse from sideways.  So we walked through Piuchu Pillai Street and came to East Mada Street.  Petty shops lined Pichu Pillai junction.  Here too, people were drawing beautiful kolams on the road.  East Mada street looked as though the time was 6 p.m..

There were thousands of people -  from the theradi point, Sannidhi Street was jam packed.  It was suffocating because of the asbestos shed that has been raised.  We squeezed in and reached near 16 pillar-mantap where Lord Kapali was seated on silver rishabha vahanam.

Goddess Karpagambal joined the lord later.  (Karpagambal was on a golden Rishabha). Lord Muruga was on a ‘mayil’ vahanam.

The crowd got bigger as the procession began. We left the sannidhi square and got away - a cool drinks shop was busy.  Further down, we saw free distribution of hot bad am milk.

It was [ast midnight. People were coming in. Autos were available.

So getting back home was not a problem.

( The second photo was taken when the procession got back to the temple at about 6 a.m. on March 31, about six hours after it began)

- Report by V. Vasantha.

Street shopping, silambam and Bharatanatyam, and a long night

Tuesday evening signaled that summer and stickiness was with us in Chennai - the gentle breeze made it good for hawking and window shopping in the mada streets. The stuff on sale may be utility - from water pumps and mosquito-swatters - to narikurava-made chains and wrist bands. But they found their buyers.

At about 7.30 p.m. two young drummers got into the act on Sannidhi Street, and as they belted out the trummm-trummmm-trum, young men got into the act of silambam and fire drills and soon gathered a small crowd to watch the sidelight.

Metres away, young dancer R Rukmani, a sishya of Himaja Ramsharan glided on the floor of the 16-pillared mantap to perform. A first in a three recital series of dances at penguin fest time ( the other two will be held here on April 1 and April 4, the former at about 5 pm and the latter at 6.30pm ).

The music clashed but each found its rhythm.

Inside the temple, volunteers, the big-made men in blue Tees took position near the vahanam and priests set in motion the rituals in the yagam hall on the north eastern side for the rishaba vahanam procession.

Pink, flowery wheels for the chariot!

Numerous people offer their services free at festival time. It is their way of prayer and thanks. So if you walk into the campus you will find people deep in a variety of works. Like this man who ensures he and his men clean up all the vahanams.

In the past few hours, the chariot has been getting a new coat of paint. The wheels looked bright in pink and white. Now not everyone will appreciate this paint-paint-paint business especially on vintage pieces like the chariot whose images have been dented, corroded and chipped.

But then color and sound make a festival!

Buddhan vahanam

 Buddhan vahanam that was taken out in procession oN March 28 evening.

Dancing before the nandi . . .

Sugathan Mohandass, Secretary of Sri Sumukhi Rajasekharan Memorial Foundation and fostered by “The Mylapore Trio” – S. Amarnath, S. Surendranath, S. Aparna, performed in front of “Adhikaara Nandhi Vahanam” on [27-3-2015] for the famous song “Kaana Kankodi Vendum… Adhikaara Nandhi Sevaithanai” (a Tamizh Keertanam composed by Papanasam Sivan, specifically on this “Adhikaara Nandhi Utsavam” on the 3^rd day of Panguni Brahmotsavam of Lord Kapaleeswara - Mylapore).

A special Pooja is organized on the previous night of the “Adhikaara Nandhi” Festival every year by the “Thandarai Vaidhyar” Family – donors of the silver kavacham of the Adhikaara Nandhi Vahanam (1917).

 This family has been closely associated with The Mylapore Trio’s foster parents Late Sumukhi, Rajasekharan and their grand mom, Nagammal for many generations. All the girls of the donor’s family were the students of Sumukhi, who was the Headmistress of the Lady Sivaswami Aiyar Girls High School, Mylapore. 

The present Grand Old Lady of this family Parvathi Ammal is a nonagenarian. The family hosted Sugathan to perform on this auspicious occasion. This is the third consecutive year he is performing in front of this Adhikaara Nandi.

Sugathan holds a masters degree in communication from the University of Madras. He is Bharatanatyam dancer, also well versed in Mohiniyattam and Kathakali. He hails from a family of Mohiniyattam dancers and is also an alumnae of Kalakshetra.  

He felt that it was a divine experience to perform in front of “Adhikara Nandhi”, more so for that very apt song.

Jayanthi Swaminathan, another member of the Foundation sang this beautiful song with her mellifluous voice on this occasion.

Suryan and kili; day 2 of the fest

Photos shot on March 27. In the morning, it was time for Surya vattam and later that night, for chandran vat tam and for killi and aanai vahanams, processions that went around the mada streets.

Green theme and colorful rangolis . .

Photos shot on March 26 late evening, when the rituals were around the punnai, karpaga and vengai trees. The procession of the gods took place after 10 p.m. and people drew kolams and rangolis on the mada streets to welcome the procession.

This woman contributed her creativity on behalf of the famed Mami's Mess on Pitchu Pillai Street.

Gas lights, flower decor and a Kerala log . . .

Lots of people get involved in the Panguni fest - and their stories lie in the background. They though are not looking for the stories to be told and shared.

Take G. Babu the gas light supplier from Ponnambala Vadyar Street, alongside the temple. He has been supplying gas lights for all processions for close to two decades. He still does - that practice of having gas lights light up the gods continues though fewer lights are used.

S, Baskar, sells flowers and puja stuff also in this zone. For many years he and his team create the flower decked space for the gods to reside in while watching the kodiyetram.

This year a new thandu was donated by well-wishers via a supplier in Kerala. This is made from the side root-trunk of banyan tree. The photo here shows volunteers holding it up.

- Photos and report by R. Saravanan

Procession on March 26 evening

The pavazhakaal vimanam procession on March 26 evening.

The flag goes up . .

The flag hoisting function started at 5 in the morning and the kodiyetram completed on the dot at 5.40

Women devotees were in colourful semi silk sarees and men in dhotis. 

After the main arathi, simultaneously to the kodi and the Kapali in the Navarathri mantapam, people started disbursing. Those who had come from far exclusively for this event greeted their friends and relatives whom they meet only on occasions like this.

Women of the area who were in madisars, took a break - sitting on the steps of the mantapam and making light talk.