5th lesson திருவிழாக்கள்
Festivals are symbol of society’s collaboration and prosperity.
Tamil people celebrate many festivals and these festivals
promote the cultural tradition and landmarks.
There are so many reason for celebrating festivals. But the
main one is to have harmony. The festivals are divided into
nature based, religion based and race based festivals.
People celebrated festival during climatic seasonal change.
This is called nature based festival. Based on one ethnicity’s
culture festivals are celebrated. Those are race based festivals
and according to the rituals and method of worshipping of a
religion, if the festival is celebrated it is called religious
festival. Even though daily rituals are followed in temples
once or more than once in a year or special festivals are
celebrated in temples. Those are called thiruvizha. And this is
common to all people. So it promotes harmony and integrity.
Thiruvizha exhibits the culture, tradition and civilization of
the people. Even those who are in outstations or in another
countries return to their native place to celebrate festivals
together.
Ainthinai vizhakkal ( Festivals of 5 thinais)
Introduction is same as in the previous lessons. Refer that.
Kuriji nila vizha
Mountains and its adjoining lands are called Kurinji nilam.
God of kurinji nilam is seyon, also called as murugan, and
velan. Velan veriyattu vizha was celebrated in this land
according to Thirumurugatruppadai, Kurinjipattu,
aingurunuru, pattinappalai. This festival was started to do
consecration ( நேர்த்திக்கடன்) to cure their women’s
disease. During the festival the under king or head of the land
wears garlands and acts as though he is possessed by god
Murugan. The paripadal tells that, place where it is celebrated
is called veriyadukalam The flag cock-flag is hoisted, smoke
containing good fragrance will be raised. And Kundrak
kuravaikuthu, which is a dance by kurinji land people is also
performed while beating thondagapparai.
Mullai nila vizha
Forest and its adjoining lands are called Mullai land. Mayon is
their god. Their main occupation is raising the cattle.
According to Agananuru (309) Mullai land people worshipped
Neem tree as god mother. The possession/property of this
land is cattle and it is protected by karuppasamy, a village
deity from hunters and it also shows the correct path to cattle.
He is blck in colour and protects the jungle, so he is called as
karuppasamy. He is also called as Mayon. The people
worshipped and Mayon to safeguard the people and their
cattle. And celebrated festival during the worship by way of
dancing and singing kuraivai koothu. This worship is called
aichi kuravai.
Maruda Nila vizha
Indra Vizha is the biggest festival celebrated in Maruda land.
People worshipped God Indra to safeguard them from hunger,
disease and enemy. This was also called as Shanthi Peruvizha
nd Teevaga shanthi. In the Indravizha uredutha kadhai in
Silappathikaram and Vizhavarai kadai in Manimekalai have
mentions about this festival. It was celebrated for 28 days.
Astrologers, religious people, scholars, five member team, and
8 member teams will decide about the date for the festival.
The news of the Indra vizha was declared while beating drums
accompanied by 4 four defence forces. People kept kalsh 9Pot)
filled with coconut and mango leaf, golden lamps and mud
lamps in all the places. They decorated city with coconut
leaves, climbers and plantations.
The news of the Indra vizha was declared while beating drums
accompanied by 4 four defence forces. People kept kalsh 9Pot)
filled with coconut and mango leaf, golden lamps and mud
lamps in all the places. They decorated city with coconut
leaves, climbers and plantations. They changed sands in roads
and grounds. Did worship to Boothachathukkam like local
gods. Lectures by scholars and debates were taking place. This
is how Indravizha was celebrated.
Chinnamanur copperinscriptions revels that even in Madurai
Indravizha was celebrated. In Aingurunuru also mentions of
this festival is there. In Manimekalai also tells about
Indravizha or common vizha was organised by
Thodithitchembiyan.
Maritha land people, before going to war bless the king and
celebrate kuravai by beating thannumai parai with singing
and dancing.
Neithal vizha
Sea and its adjourning places are called Neithal land.Varunan
is their god. According to Sangam literature they celebrate
munneer vizha and Naavaai vizha.Purananuru (36) tells that
Palyagasalai Mudu kudumi peru vazhi pandiyan celebrated
these festivals and ancestors of Karikalan also celebrated
Navai thiruvizha.
Varunan is related to cloud, river and sea so he is called as
watergod (neer kadavul). He is considered as god for whole
world and rules the world. These people offered pearls and
couches to their god and worshipped.
Palai vizha
The dis-formed /ruined Kurinji and Mullai lands are changed
in to Palai land. Kotram means victory. They worshipped
goddess Kotravai who helped their victory.
We learn from silappathikaram that a girl was possessed by
goddess Salini. People made her look aloki Kotravai Goddess
and sat on deer. They took her as a procession on all over the
city and women with gifts followed her. People were playing
instruments like Parai – which was played during robbery,
kombu- which was played during loot and flute were played
during this time. This is the festival of Palai .
Hero stone worship
Hero stone worship (Tomb stone, Ndukal) is based on valor,
one of the important values of Tamil culture. There are
evidence in Sangam literature about this. When a soldier dies
in a war, his sword and other possessions were put along with
him. And one stone was erected on his grave. In that stone his
name, age and valorous acts were scripted. That stone is called
hero stone. Every year they celebrated festival on his memory.
Today’s worshipping of village guards may be the extension of
this practice.
Pathini (loyal wife) vazhipadu
In silappathikaram Nadukankathai (224-225) there ia a
mention about building a temple/building for Kannagi.
Pathini goddes worship is referred to Kannaki only. In
Srilanka people are worshipping pathini even today. Kannaki
was regarded as a great women in the history of Tamil epics
and culture.
The heroine of epic Silappathikaram, got angry due to the
murder of her husband Kovalan upon false accusation. She
fought with Pandya king Nedunzhezhiyan and proved her
husband’s innocence. And then she burnt Madurai city.
Kannaki was born in Chozha country and proved justice in
pandya dynasty. She is considered as loyal goddess in Chozha
country.
Pavai Nonbu
During the Tamil month of Margazhi women do pavai nonbu
or Margazhi nonbu. They recite Thiruppavai written by Andal
and Thiruvempavai written by Manikkavasakar.
Unmarried girls do this fasting (worship) (nonbu) to get good
husband and married women do this for the wellness of their
husband. This is celebrated from ancient days.
Andal and Manikkavasakar prayed to god for rain and
prosperity of the people in these writings and people recite
these songs at home as well as in temples.
According to the second poem in Thiruppavai, women get up
early in the morning, take bath and without decorating them,
do donations and contributions to others and do this ritual of
pavai nonbu.
Festivals based on nature
Pongal festivals
Pongal is celebrated all over the world. The sun is the main
reason for good crops and yields. So to pay their gratitude,
people celebrate poghi pongal. This is celebrated for 4 days as
Boghi, pongal, mattu pongal and kanum pongal.
Boghi pandigai
It is celebrated every year on the last day of Margazhi month.
Its purpose is to remove unwanted things from the house and
unwanted thoughts from the mind.
On this day people clean their houses and decorate it with
turmeric and sandal. Evening they tie neem leaves,
avarampoo and pulaipoo on roof of the house.
Pongal festival
Farmers who sowed crops in the month of Adi month (July)
harvest it during Thai month (January ). To offer the first
harvest to the Sun god is Pongal festival. They use new stone
for stove, new pot to cook and new spatula.
They clean the front of the house with cow dung and make
rangolies. Use new flowers for worship. Decorate the pongal
pot with Ginger, Turmeric leaves and kumkum. They make
sweet rice puddings (sakkarai pongal) with newly cultivated
rice, newly made jaggery, cashew nut, raisins, ghee and milk.
They offer this pongal to Sun god along with their produce
from the field like sugar cane, turmeric, ginger and plantation.
Mattu pongal ( Worshipping livestock)
Mattu pongal is celebrated to say thanks to ox and cow which
helps in cultivation and occupation.
On this day people clean and decorate the cows and bulls.
Offer them pongal and worship them. And in the evening they
play Jallikattu sport and control the bull. You can understand
the antiquity of this valorous sport as there was mention
about this in Sangam literature.
In ancient times livestock was the symbol of wealth. There
were proverbs about this. As valluvar said ‘ ஏரின்
பின்னால் தான் உலகமே சுழல்கின்றது' , but
that plough is behind bulls. So cow and bulls are keeping the
farming and farmers live.
Kanum pongal
It is celebrated to forget the enmities and revive the
relationship. People visit elders and relatives to get blessings.
They celebrate this day by conducting debates and playing
traditional sports.
Chithirai festivals
The biggest festival of Tamil Nadu, Madurai Chithirai festival
is celebrated by Saivism and Vaishnavism together.
Meenakshi Sundareswarar kalyanam (marriage) is Saiva
festival and Kallazhagar festival is vaishnava festival and both
are celebrated together in chithirai festival from the period of
Thirumalai Nayakar. It starts from 5th day from the new moon
day of Chithirai month and celebrated for 10 days.
Adi perukku
Due to the South west monsoon, rivers in Tamil Nadu are
filled with new water flows during the month of Adi (July).
People living near Cauvery river believe it as their mother and
goddess.
So they worship rivers during Adi month and start their
farming after that. There is a proverb for this also 'ஆடிப்
பட்டம் தேடி விதை’ During the 18th day of Tamil Month
Adi this festival is celebrated.
Masi magam festivals
Durong the Tamil month of masi when guru planet in simha
rasi, if full moon day falls on magam star, that day is
celebrated as masi magam. Guru(JUpiter) takes one year to
travel from onezodiac sign to another. So during the day of
transition Masi magam is celebrated. It takes 12 years for guru
to pass all the 12 zodiac signs. That is why Maha Magam is
celebrated once in 12 years. It is auspicious to take bath in
places on that day. People take bath in Kumbakonam
Mahamaham tank, which is considered as the most auspicious
water to take bath. This is considered as Southern Kumb mela
like Kumb mela of North.
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