Tharabhishekham from 4th May at Arunachaleswarar Temple : Thiruvannamalai!
With the onset of the peak summer period, Agni Nakshatram, the festival of ‘Tharabhishekham’ is scheduled to be performed from 4th May to 28th May at the Lord Arunachaleswarar Temple at Thiruvannamalai.
The peak of the summer season, known locally by the terms ‘Kathiri Veyyil’ or ‘Agni Nakshatram’, is set to commence this year (2020) on 4th May and conclude on 26th May.
During this peak impact period of the summer, in order that the main deity of the temple is kept in cool conditions and thereby protecting all other living things, and praying that there should be sufficient rains during the summer, the event of ‘Tharabhishekam’ is performed daily at the Lorad Aruncahaleswarar temple.
Ingredients including cardamom, nutmeg, Javvadhu (a fragrance made by a mix of Sandalwood with picked collection of flowers, herbs and spices), and sandal are added in ‘Panneer’ (rose water) and poured on the vessel called ‘Thara’ and an arrangement will be made for this liquid mixture to fall in small drops over the main deity – the Lingam. This event is called ‘Tharabhishekham’.
During the ‘Tharabhishekham’, the main deity must not be adorned with any shield!
Ban on ‘Chithra Pournami’ Girivalam in Thiruvannamalai!
The District administration of Thiruvannamalai has decided to ban the devotees from undertaking ‘girivalam’ (a round trip around the mountain base) on the holy occasion fo ‘Chithra pournami’ (The Full Moon Day in the Tamil calendar month of Chithirai) which falls on 6th May.
Traditionally, in Thiruvannamalai temple, after the most prominent and world-famous ‘Deepam Festival’ (in the Tamil calendar month of Karthigai – Full Moon Day) when lakhs of devotees assemble to have a Darshan of the Karthigai Deepam and the Darshan of Lord Aruncaheleswarar and His Consort Unnamulaiyamman, the next in the holy occasion list is the Chithra Pournami when over 15 lakhs of devotees have Darshan Lord Aruncaheleswarar and His Consort Unnamulaiyamman after undertaking ‘girivalam’!
This year’s Chitra Pournami occasion commences at 7.01 PM on 6th May and concludes at 5.51 PM on 7th May.
In this situation, the district administration had banned undertaking girivalam on this year’s occasion of undertaking girivalam on the full Mood Day in the Tamil calendar month of Panguni as a preventive measure against the raging coronavirus pandemic.
In a similar step, it has banned undertaking girivalam during the full moon day in the Tamil calendar month of Chithirai, known as ‘Chithre pournami’!
A letter has been sent by the district administration to the State Government of Tamil Nadu seeking approval of this ban.