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November 21, 2005

Kovil ** ThiRuvilla** – ThiRuvizha 

Trin Trin..poi paru yaru nu..said my mother…
I went n opened the door…could find a crowd in white n white vaesti n shirt..veetula periavanga yarachi irukangalama…they said..
Appa yaro vandhurkanga ..i said n went inside…followed by my appa coming towards door..
Sir nanga kovil thiruvillaku vasool panna vandhurkom...those people said
They also told Muthu mariyamma kovil la thiruvilla start aaga pogudhu…athukaga vasul ponnurom..
My father how much kudukanum....unga istam sir… he gave some amount for the thiruvilla..
Mariamman kovil .. is s small temple covering some streets in our locatliy…it is located one side of road…with mariamman,vinayaga,murugan,karuppasamy,and some other lords…

Generaly festivals in India are timed according to the lunar month with certain days sacred to particular deities. While Mariamman/Devi is worshiped throughout the year, manifestations of the Great Goddess have specific days dedicated to them.Generaly 1 week or more … There are many regional variations in festivals. Goddess festivals in rural areas do not follow any fixed calendrical cycles. During festivals it is common for images of the goddess to be dressed and taken out of the temple for public display and processions, thus allowing darshan for the throngs of people who take part.This festival is called as Thiruvila..

General Temple art ...




For us that thiruvila was new …As i said earlier the thiruvila period used to be some one week.. soon the thirvilla starts the ritual for that is” kaapu ketturadhu “….
There is something said like if "kovil la kaapu kettitanga na" no one shud move out of city/place till thiruvilla is over..it is called "kaapu thadai "..…
I believe behind each n every traditional believe there’s some reason for it ..it can be either scientific or some other reason..
My assumption for this thadai is for making throngs of people to take part during thiruvilla ,hence they may made such rules..just my assumption..…
After that kaapu kettura ritual..small childrens and old ladies wil seed grain ..and it is called “ Mulaipari” ( earthen pots with grown grains inside it ) …it is Generaly grown in some covered place inside temple…

Molaipari....


Interesting and unbelivable fact is that with in 4 days the sprouts will grow to plant with a height of 1.5 ft for few people…
In putting mulaipari there is some procedure followed ..the seeds used for that are thata payir, mochai payir, keppai , ulutham paruppu also some other cereals add pannuvanga ( I don’t know english word for these cereals ..if u can know let me know)
The arrangement of cereals would be like outer round keppai.. inner round mochai and thatai payir also ulutham paruppu and other seeds,,
The believe behind this molaipari is like that mulairi “yelloroda vaazhkaum valaranum, yellarum nalla irukanum..”( for better life of public)
Soon the thiruvila starts Speaker wil be singing in high decibels either movie songs or devotional song…Movie song will be played whole day and Devotional song morning and evening all through seven days….. Every night prayers would be conducted ..there will be heavy rush of people in temple .. they perform a special dance called kummi and sing kummi pattu ( songs accompanying the dance)..a way to thank god …



Kummi is one of the most important and ancient forms of village dances of Tamilnadu. This is performed by women; many varieties of Kummi, such as, Poonthatti Kummi, Deepa Kummi, Kulavai Kummi, Kadir Kummi, Mulaipari Kummi etc are known. The women stand in a circle and dance clapping their hands rhythamically tolifting songs.

The first line of the song is sung by the leading lady, which the others repeat.
I like ot watch these special dance very much..it is almost same as dandiya in north ..which they perform during durga pooja…

Whenever I listen these set of marriamman songs which can be called as classic Thiruvilla songs it takes me to that temple atmosphere…Can listen to these set of songs who are interested @..

Click Here


One more thing during this function would be something called “Manjathanni uthura thiruvila or "valanthaana adikirathu”..I had see this when I was in some 6 or 7 std and visited my grandma place during summer vacation….as long time span passed it is difficult to recollect the things clearly but I heard from a friend regarding this function as during this day what they do is bachelors will go to all house in there village or streets ..they take some stick( kambu ) in hand ..it wil be about 1 to 1.5 ft length ..somewhat similar to ruler..they perform some sort of dance in front of each home.. valanthaanai will be by this kambu.. …

The first line of the song is sung by the one bachelor, which the others repeat. it will be like kummi.. kummi kaila kotuvanga.. and this with stick...they repeat this process in front of each house.. when the bachelors do such demonstration the spinster in the home will put some water called “manjal thanni”…manjal thanniya karaichi, veppilai potu….pasanga mela oothuvanga… If the guy is some relation to the gal like if the guy is maama to the ponnu.. antha case la that ponnu.. antha payyana veratti veratti thanni oothum…it will be funny and interesting...

The song whcih they sing would be to praise all in village and to pray for well being of all in village..when the song comes to end… it will be like vote of thanks ...
some of those lines are
1. Thennai vechu payir yethina seruvaarar vaazhavey
2. vaazhai vechi payir yethina vallambarum vaazhavey
like this they sing the song ..if u listen to that it will be good (but not to all)…those who really interested in this...

some more interesting words from that song
1. annanum thambiyum adhibathiyaai vaazhavey
2. maamanum machinanum malai pola vaazhavey
3. kondaarum koduthaarum kodi kodiyaai vaazhavey
( kondaar => ponnu yeduthavar)( koduthaar => ponnu koduthavar)
This thiruvila continues for one week and as everything this thiruvila also come to end.. during the final day of thiruvila… During night it would be grand function with all the molaipari displayed out of hut in front of god..






Before dissolving the pots in a river or a lake ( also representing the Goddess), they perform a final special dance called kummi and sing kummi pattu.. prayers…and atlast prossession of god idol and molaipari all around the streets …women carry mulaipari to request Amman ( Mother-Goddess ) for a good harvest and rain. Finaly dissolve the pots in river or lake..

When this processions is taken it is accompanied by “karagatam kuttam”… petromos light”..after that other function would be conducted for entertainment…
Karagam is a folk dance with musical accompaniment, performed balancing a pot on the head.




Traditionally, this dance was performed by the villagers in praise of the rain goddess Mari Amman and river goddess, Gangai Amman, performed with literature with water pots balanced on their heads.
In Sangam literature, it is mentioned as 'Kudakoothu'. This dance has two divisions - one, Aatta Karagam and the other 'Sakthi Karagam'. More often it is danced with decorated pots on the head and is known as 'Aatta Karagam' and symbolises joy and merriment. The former is performed only in temples, while the latter is mainly entertainment in nature. This is one of the more popular rural dances today.
Karagams were also performed for mulaipari ceremony when the dancer carried a pot of sprouted grains on his/her head and danced, balancing it through intricate steps and body/arm movements. Today, the pots have transformed from mud pots to bronzeware and even stainless steel in modern times. The pots are decorated with a cone of flower arragements, topped by a paper parrot. The parrot rotates as the dancer swings along.

With the pass of time these sort of funtions/festivals are not conducted as often as they used to be.. .though in rural areas and small town still these things exist…

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Comments:
ppl r not allowed to go out..........so that they won't be affected by any diseases and new person not allowed to come because if he is affected it will affect the locality.. this was the reason of kaappu..i.e to avoid infection from other persons during festival period ...guess so..
on reading this, able to feel something like attended this festival in person. pictures were captured nicely. it wud be too good if u could have captured that koil sorrondings, because in front of the temple a tent will be made with something like a mat made up of coconut leaves (called kottagai or bandhal) and the koondhal (made by thennai kuruthu) will be tied there on the 4 side of that bandhal. also veppillai, nongu, eecham pazham etc... will be kept there...and in the sorroundins, ppl will make pongal, also bakthargal will take paal kudam, theechatti, paal kaavadi, paravai kavadi, vel kuthi varuthal... so and so. so athellam paatha, fully nerla paatha feelings irukum i guess.

reg kaapu kattu...
the reason told might be correct i guess. as for as i knew ppl from their home country (where the thiruvizha happens) are not allowed to go out. but @ the same time, i dont think that new faces from other places will not be allowed to enter. because for thiruvizha ppl will invite relatives and friends from everywhere. right?

- Arunagiri PL
*Usha as PLA said during festival we generaly invite our relatives so may be your assumption is wrong......

*Txs PLA for reminding about kottagai or pandhal with nongu, veppalai,etc etc..

*Rajesh i have not exp with "Uri adikirathu"..though seen in tamil movie's..one more thing i forgot i.e to include "kool uthuradhu"..your favourite...;)
i heard u will be first in Q...;)
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