Lakhs Watch
Kumbhabhishekam
Express News Service,
Tiruvannamalai April 4, 1976
Upwards of 500,000 pilgrims
gathered in this historic town
this morning to witness the
Mahakumbhabhishekam of the
Arunachaleswarar temple.
The ceremonial bathing of the
sikharas on the nine gopuras
lasted full 15 minutes - from
8.45 a.m. to 9 a.m. As pot after
pot of lustrous water was
emptied on the spires which
glittered in the morning sun,
the teeming half million kept up
the chant of "Annamalaiyarkku
Aro Hara."
1856 Tiruvannamalai (based on
Arunachala Puranam)
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Rising above the frenzied, full
throated call to Lord Siva were
the deafening blasts of adirevdi
- 51 were fired in all giving
the signal for a start to the
colourful ceremony. Sweet
strains of Nadaswaram music
flowing from the pipe of
Namagiripettai Krishnan,
followed by groups of other
pipers, mingled happily with the
Thevaram renderings led by Swami
Panchanatha Desikar and his 63
minstrels..
It was a vast sea of humanity in
and around the renowned Siva
shrine, its vast quadrangles,
aisles and corridors packed with
chanting men and women.
In the distance the gaunt sides
of the Arunachala Hill were
dotted with dense devout groups
who had camped on the lower
reaches overnight for lack of
even moving space anywhere in
the town. Two white-throated
kites cut large circles over the
25-acre temple area, seemingly
heralding the approach of the
Kumbha lagna under the Rohini
asterism, chosen for the
momentous ceremony.
Watching the proceedings were
the heads of the leading South
Indian maths, notable among them
being Ramadasa Sadhu of Devi
Karumari Temple of Thiruverkadu,
Sri Mahalingaswamy of
Dharmapuram, Tiruchi Swamigal
and Samayapuram Ramantha
Samigal, representing the Kanchi
Math.
Also present were the Advisors
the Governor, P.K. Dave and R.V.
Subrahmanian, Mrs. Madhuben
Shak, wife of Governor K.K.
Shah, former Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu M. Bhaktavatsalam,
top State officials, leading
lights of the Nattukottai
Chettiar community which has
been continually associated with
the renovation and beautifying
of the temple.
Under the direction of Chief
priest Sri Ayyamanbi Sivam
nearly 200 Sivacharyas earlier
in the week performed homas in
the Yagasala specially erected
according to Silpa Sastra and
Aagama Sastra, beginning with
the Vigneswara Puja and followed
by Dhana Puja, Vaastu Shanti,
Vaastu Homam and Navagraha
propitiation. There were 33
homakunds for Annamalai, 25 for
Unnamulai Amman, and others for
Vinayaka, Venugopalaswami. When
the deities were established in
the kumbhas, or ceremonial
vessels, the ashtabandhana
fixation took place for all the
deities in the temple.
The total expenditure of the
Kumbhabhishekam alone will
exceed Rs.6 lakhs and the brunt
of it borne by Nattukottai
Nagarathars. Work on Rajagopuram
and eight others will cost Rs.
40 lakhs.
Apart from gallons of sandalwood
paste the holy libation was made
up of Ganga water blended with
camphor, gorojana, kasturi and
saffron and 96 leaves form
sacred herbs. An hour before the
start of the Kumbhabhishekam,
began a procession of priests
carrying some 1,200 pots of holy
water earmarked for the various
gopurams. Priests chanting vedic
hymns climbed improvised wooden
stairs held together by heavy
scaffolding. The Sivacharyas
wearing heavy Rudraaksha beads,
colourful multi-coloured gold
laced cloth around their waists,
made their way to the top of the
gopuras awaiting the signal from
the chief priest to begin the
abhisheka.
At the stroke of 8.45 a
deafening adirvedi blast
signalled the start of the
ceremonies followed by cries of
"Annamalaiyarkku Arohara" from
the vast concourse.
When the ritual was over priests
sprinkled water from the pots
and sandalwood paste on the
gathering below. Garlands of the
holy tulasi, marigolds, roses
and bilwa leaves were showered
on the faithful.
The most famous of the Pancha
Bhoota Kshetras, Tiruvannamalai
is dedicated to the Tejo Linga.
The Arunachala Hill, which
provides a striking backdrop to
the temple town, is 2,666 feet
above sea level and said to be
rich in the panchalohas -
copper, gold, silver, lead and
iron. In its various caves
saints have carried on
meditation and realised Godhood.
A glorious example was Sri
Ramana Maharshi, whose ashram at
the foot of the hill is still
the international port of call
for spiritualism long after the
passing of the "Saint of
Silence".
Seventy years ago, the
Nattukottai Chettiars took up
the renovation work of the
temple at a cost of Rs.35 lakhs.
The Mahakumbhabhishekam was held
on June 6, 1903. An
Ashtabandhana Kumbhabhishekam
was held on June 4, 1944 at a
cost of Rs.44,000.
The Mahamandalabhishekam will be
held on May 19.
India Express, Madras
April 5, 1976
18 Pillar Mandapam, Raja
Gopuram 1976
Annamalai Garbagriham 1976
Siddhi Vinayaka Shrine 1976
Yagasalai 1976
Waterpots Carried from
Yagasalai
Waterpots from Yagasalai to
Temple
Holy water on Annamalai Vimana
Annamlai Big Temple Vimana,
spraying water on devotees
Ambal Vimana Kumbhabhishekam
1976
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