Mayana Puja held at midnight on Wednesday to mark the Gundam festival at the Anaimalai Masaniyamman Temple.
Coimbatore: Mayana Puja held at midnight on Wednesday to mark the Gundam festival at the Anaimalai Masaniyamman Temple.
Anaimalai Masaniyamman Temple Gundam Festival started with the flag hoisting on February 11th. The main event of the festival, the Mayana Puja, took place at midnight on Wednesday. After the special pujas for Masaniyamman at 12.30 am, many including Mayana Arulali Arun and Chief Manoharan went to the cemetery at Aliyar river bank with 'Amman Soolam' and pooja items.
There was an eight-foot-long earthenware statue of Masaniyamman erected with the mud in the cemetery. Soothsayer bathed in the river and brought the Theertham and at 2.30 am, the curtain covering the statue of the goddess was removed and the theertham was sprinkled on the devotees as drums were played. The goddess was adorned with lemon garlands and then they sang devotional songs.
The soothsayer then grabbed the piece of bone that had been placed on the goddess with his mouth and walked furiously with a 'soolam' in his hand and broke down the goddess image as he danced.
A mound of mud was taken from the neck of the goddess and the mayana puja ended at 2.45 pm. Thousands of devotees, including women, took part in it. Many came and danced to the spiritual tunes. In the morning, the chief priests of the temple consecrated it at the Aliyar river. The soil taken from the neck of the goddess was placed in the temple headquarters in the Shakti Kumbastapanam.
Anaimalai Masaniyamman Temple Gundam Festival started with the flag hoisting on February 11th. The main event of the festival, the Mayana Puja, took place at midnight on Wednesday. After the special pujas for Masaniyamman at 12.30 am, many including Mayana Arulali Arun and Chief Manoharan went to the cemetery at Aliyar river bank with 'Amman Soolam' and pooja items.
There was an eight-foot-long earthenware statue of Masaniyamman erected with the mud in the cemetery. Soothsayer bathed in the river and brought the Theertham and at 2.30 am, the curtain covering the statue of the goddess was removed and the theertham was sprinkled on the devotees as drums were played. The goddess was adorned with lemon garlands and then they sang devotional songs.
The soothsayer then grabbed the piece of bone that had been placed on the goddess with his mouth and walked furiously with a 'soolam' in his hand and broke down the goddess image as he danced.
A mound of mud was taken from the neck of the goddess and the mayana puja ended at 2.45 pm. Thousands of devotees, including women, took part in it. Many came and danced to the spiritual tunes. In the morning, the chief priests of the temple consecrated it at the Aliyar river. The soil taken from the neck of the goddess was placed in the temple headquarters in the Shakti Kumbastapanam.