ആലവട്ടം, വെണ്‍ചാമരം, വര്‍ണ്ണക്കുട...

ആകെ ഒരു പൊഹ

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ആകെ ഒരു പൊഹ മാത്രം... എന്താ കാര്യം? ഒരു വെടി പൊട്ടീതാ

Vedikkaran

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Waiting to start fire... 0...1..2...3... DDDDdddTtttooooooo&^%$#!@#$

Toy seller

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A typical side-view of every festivals. These genre of sellers are slowly disappearing. Because new gen kids need some high-tech toys; not just balloons and old fashioned toy-drums. They want to play with finished machine gun toys (ആ പഴയ കളിതൊക്കൊന്നും വേണ്ഡെദൊ)!

Pooram: A tourist attraction

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Many European and American tourists visited the festival of Shri Subrahmania Temple on Thaippooyam day.

Kanchavu Swamikal

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Image of Kanjaavu Swamikal. It is demonstrated on the top of a caparisoned elephant during Pooram.

Thidambu

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Thidambu of Lakshmi. Which is demonstrated in the top the highest of the caparisoned elephant during Pooram.

The schedule of the festival

THE FIRST DAY
[ Thursday | 1183 Makaram 3 | 2008 January 17 ]
• Ganapathy Havanam
• Sudhi Kalasam
• Mulayidal
• Kodikayattam (Flag hoisting) in Bharani Nakshathram between 10.45 and 11.30. Chief priest: Anirudhan Thanthri
• 4.00 pm : Akshara Shloka Sadass
(Sri Krishna Akshara Shloka Samithi, N. Parur)
• 6.00 pm : Balikkal purayil Chuttuvilakku samarppanam
• 6.30 pm : Deepalankaram
• Pushpabhishekam
• 7.00 pm Ottan Thullal : By Kalamandalam B.C. Narayanan & Team

SECOND DAY
[ Friday | 1183 Makaram 4 | 2008 January 18 ]
• 7.00 Ottan Thullal : By Kalamandalam B.C. Narayanan & Team

THIRD DAY
[ Saturday | 1183 Makaram 5 |2008 January 19]
• 7.00 pm Kurathiyattam | Shri. Eroor Nanappan Pilla & Team

FOURTH DAY
[ Sunday | 1183 Makaram 6 | 2008 January 20 ]
• 7.00 pm SatyaSayi Bhajana Sudha : Sathya Sayi Seva Samithy
• 9.00 pm : Thalam (Vel muruga Thalam Samgham)

FIFTH DAY
[ Monday | 1183 Makaram 7 | 2008 January 21]
• 7.00 pm Chakyarkoothu : Vidooshaka Ratnam Edanadu Rajan Nambyar, Kalady

SIXTH DAY
[ Tuesday | 1183 Makaram 8 | 2008 January 22 ]
• Evening Deeparadhana with 501 Kathina
• 7.00 pm Kavady Para
• 8.00 pm Double Thayampaka : Shri Remesh & Team
• 10.00 Pallivetta and Ezhunnulliippu

SEVENTH DAY
[ wednesday | 1183 Makaram 9 | 2008 January 23 ]
• Thaippooya Mahotsavam
• Dawn: Nava Kalasabhishekam
• 5.45 am : Koottavedi with 1001 kathina
Followed by
• Abhishekam
• 8.30 to 9.00 am : Panchamruthu Abhishekam
• shri Subrahmaniankal Valiya Kanikka Pradhanam
• 9.00 am : Kazhcha Shri Bali
• 10.30 am onwards : Abhishekam Continuation
• 11.00 am : Kavady (Kavady procession conducted by Shri. Subrahmania Kavady Samgham)
• 11.30 am : Kavady procession conducted by Shri. Shanmughananda Kavady Samgham)
• 1.00 pm : Anayoottu (Feeding Elephants)
• 3.00 pm : Pakalppooram
Nadaswaram : Shri. Shrikandan & Team, Chengannore | Majerset Panchavadyam : Shri. Hemachandran & Team, Karimpadam | Majorset Chendamelam : Shri. Devappan & Team, Cherai
• 8.00 pm: Deeparadhana
• 10.00 : Play : Falithabandhukkal (presented by: Saraswatha, Ernakulam)

[ Thursday | 1183 Makaram 10 | 2008 January 24 ]
• 2.30 to 3.30 am : Aaraattu at Shri Sankara Narayana temple Pool
• 4.00 am : Mahotsavam and Ezhunnallippu
followed by Kodi irakkal, Pytotechnique and Mangalapooja

Mahouts unde their beasts

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Mahouts are taking rest behind their beasts.

Pooram. The most exciting extravaganza

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Pooram is the most exciting extravaganza in each temple festivals. Kochambalam Shri Subrahmania Kshethram had 7 caparizoned elephants for its Pooram

Long traffik Block

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Huge line of vehicles trapped in a traffic block is a common scene during Kavady procession. Most of the organizers ignore this situation. As a matter of fact, on the day of Thaippooyam, the mob takes over the control and Police and main organisers just watch their activities. The result suffered by general public. The line of traffic block stretched some kilometers.

Shoolam - a spear pierced though one's tongue

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The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance.

Kavady.

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Offering Kavadi to Lord Muruga is of great significance as it brings peace and good luck. The myth of taking Kavadi is associated with Lord Murugan testing Idumban of his determination and duty towards his Guru. The Kavadi that each devotee carries symbolizes his/her burden like the two hills carried by Idumban. It is believed that the burden in the life of a devotee who carries Kavadi is lessened by Murugan. Taking Kavadi to Murugan temples during Thaipuyam is considered highly auspicious.

The samadhi place of Kanjavu Swamikal

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കഞ്ചാവു സ്വാമികളുടെ സമാധിസ്ഥലം. ഇവിടെയാണു അദ്ദേഹം സമാധിയടഞ്ഞത്. Here is the Samdhi of Brahma Shri. Yogananda Paramahamsar alias Shri Kanchavu Swamikal. Contemporary of Shri Narayana Guru, he was a legend of Nayarambalam. He was the person who consecrated the idol of Shri. Subhrahmania. He was a great Siva yogi a divine healer. He passed away on 8th January, 1955 (KE: 24th Dhanu, 1130). During Pooram, his image is demonstrated on caparisoned elephants...

Guru Madapam

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Gurumandapam is located almost in the rear side of the Temple. Sree Nārāyana Guru Swami, was a prophet, saint, sage and social reformer of India. He was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when the Ezhava caste, because of its precarious position between the upper and lowest strata in the caste hierarchy, faced much social injustice. Gurudeva, as he is fondly known to his followers, revolted against casteism and worked on propagating new values of freedom in spirituality and of social equality, thereby transforming the society in Kerala.

New Upakshethra

A devotee is praying before the Upakshethra

New Upakshethram

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The new upaksheththram. Concecrated recently in mid-2007. Prathishta is Kirathamoorthi Shri Mahadeva

Thaippooyam

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Thaippooyam. The temple awaits to receive Kavady. This year there were a couple of Kaavady groups served the festival of scintillating colours .... Kaavady was almost peaceful, but it made traffic block for long hours. Organizers has to put immediate attention to prevent such long traffic blocks...

Elephant to be caparisoned

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Here is an elephant tied to a tree behind the temple which is to be caparisoned during Pooram. Shot on the festival day morning.

The vehicle of Subrahmania

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Peacock is the vehicle of Shri. Subrahmania. This shape of peacock is on the top of Nilavilakku in front of Srikovil.

Kodiyettam

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Kodiyettu was on 18 Jan. 2008. The festival begun... detailed description later.

Kochambalam Subrahmania Kshethram Festival - 2008

This is the blog on temple festivals at Nayarambalam village. Now I am just going to feature the festival of Shri Subrahmania Kshetram, Kochambalam, Nayarambalam. Its Thaippooya Mahotsavam, which usually celebrates on the Pooyam day in Makaram (Kollam era). With a Sony Cybershot armature digital cam, I covered some beautiful moments of this cultural extravaganza. Kochambalam witnessed a huge number of spectators including several foreign tourists for the Thaippooya Mahotsavam.