Time Temple Function
5:00 am Temple opens
5:10 am Suprabhātam
5:35 am Viswarūpam
6:15 am Udayamartandam Abhishekam
7 am Udayamarithanelam Dīpārādhanai
7:30 to 8:30 am Kāla Sandhi Pūja
10:30 am Vehi Kāla Abhishekam
12:00 Utchikālam Dīpārādhanai
5 to 5:30 pm Sayaratchai Dīpārādhanai
7:15 pm Ardha-jaman or Rakkālam Abhishekam
7:45 pm Rakkālam Dīpārādhanai
8:00 pm Ekāntam Potri Archanai
8:30 pm Ekāntam Dīpārādhanai
8:45 pm Ragacźyam
8:45 to 9:00 pm Palli Arai Dīpārādhanai
9:01 pm Temple closes

Pujas, Abhishekas and Processions

The protocol for daily worship here is known Kumara Tantram. Eight times a day, poojas are done to Lord Subramanyar. On Vishakam nakshatiram day as well as during Chittirai Vishu and Aippasi Vishu, special pujas are done to the Lord.

Every day, processions are carried out in the inner sanctum and on the last Friday of every month, the uthsava murti is taken on a procession in the outer prakaram, along with his consorts. Special processions are conducted on days like Karttikai, Vishakam asterisms and Sashti.

Pujas are conducted daily to the deities. The timings in the table at right have been attested by the Sthaladhār Sabhā and are current as of Kanda Sashti 2001. The major daily pujas are:

  1. Suprabhātam
  2. Viswarūpam
  3. Udayamartandam
  4. Mudal-kālasandhi, Ciru-Kālasandhi and Periya-kālasandhi
  5. Utchikālam
  6. Sayaratchai
  7. Ardha-jaman or Rakkalam
  8. Ekāndam
  9. Palli-arai Dīpārādhanai or the Lord's rest

Worshippers receive here the Lord's prasādam of sacred ashes put into pannīr leaves known as ilai vipūti. The significance of the peculiar custom followed in almost all the Saivite temples in the district has to be connected perhaps to the introduction of Potris as the archakas of this foremost temple, and who thus perpetuated their aloofness without a physical contact with the worshippers. And it may even be the pannīr leaves have a peculiar sanctity and the retention of the magnetic effects of the prasadam.

Abishekas are conducted to the principal deity, Subrahmanyam, thrice during the day and to Shanmukha on every Visāka Nakshatra in the month and on the first of Chittirai and Aippasi months.

On the last Friday of each Tamil month, Senthil Nāyakar with His consorts are taken round the outer giri-prakāra of the temple in procession on mayil vākanam as an ubaya kattalai by the Nadar community, out of an endowment trust fund from Nagercoil. Processions within the inner prakaras are conducted on every monthly Tiru-Kārttikai, Visākam, Sashti and on the first of every Chittirai and Aippasi months.

 

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