Lord
Murugan is the deity of the
Tamil Land. Palani (Tiru Avinankudi)
is the third Padai Veedu. The
temple at Palani is an ancient
one, situated at an elevation
of 1500 feet above sea level.
It is a charming campus from
where one can take a look at
the Idumban Hill, the Kodaikanal
Hills, the Western Ghats, the
greenery of the paddy fields,
rivers, tanks, Palani town and
the colleges. On a lovely, clear
and mist-free day, the Kurinci
Andavar Temple is visible from
here against the bright sun.
In daytime, Palani is Hill Beautiful;
at night, it is Hill Resplendent.
The
deity of Palani is known as
Dandayudhapani Swami, the
Lord having the Staff in his
Hand. The deity at the sanctum
sanctorum is made out of an
amalgam of nine minerals popularly
called Navabashana. The deity
is in a standing position
with a baton in his hand.
He has the look of a person
who has renounced all worldly
pomp. He has just a loincloth
besides the baton. He is a
mute messenger of the great
precept 'Renounce all to reach
Me'. The icon is unique in
the whole world. It was made
by siddha Bhogar by combining
nine poisonous substances
(navabashana). Murugan signifies
beauty and Lord Murugan of
Kurinji land is the god of
Beauty and Youth.
Thai
Pusam is another
festival in which people enjoy
themselves to the hilt in
rich pageantry. Palani is
one of the most exciting pilgrim
cities of India, in the immediate
post-harvest season of the
ten-day Thai Pusam festival
in the Periyan?ki Temple.
As
in other festivals, a different
v?nam is used for each day's
procession. On the seventh
day, the full-moon day marking
the Thai Pusam, the deity
is taken to the banks of the
Shanmuga Nadi for a bath and
the temple car drawn by thousands
of devotees. There is a gaily
decorated float festival on
the tenth day. The unique
character of the Thai Pusam
is the astonishing parade
of people bearing kavadis.
As already stated, the kavadi,
associated with Idumban, vassal
of Muruga, originated in Palani.
There
are several kinds of kavadis,
the milk and rosewater kavadis
being the principal ones.
The central shaft of the semicircular
wooden structure is placed
on the shoulders and the pilgrims
dressed in yellow costume
and decorated with garlands,
undergoing many privations
to fulfill vows, dance their
way through the streets and
up the hillock under the hypnotic
music provided by the drum,
the pipes and the tom-tom.
It
is a tandava as opposed to
the lasya form of dance and
when performed with vigour
and quick movements produces
in the spectators a feeling
of exultation and a temptation
to keep step with the rhythm
and dance.
Extreme
devotion prompts some kavadi
dancers to disfigure their
lips. The lower lip is pierced
through for the insertion
of a copper or brass ring,
often with a view to maintain
strict silence. The dancers
subject themselves to rigorous
austerities and try to get
rid of their ego, anger, lust
and other vices. They dance
to the tunes of kavadi-c-cindu,
sung by admiring groups of
devotees who follow them (the
dancers). The divine songs
are rendered in charming music
by a trained singer and repeated
by others in chorus and the
emotion-choked dancer goes
into raptures hearing them.
Sometimes they react by shifting
the kavadi over their shoulder,
head, nose, etc., in seesaw
position, displaying great
artistry with many a pose
and movement in rhythm, unaided
by hand.
The
number of kavadis reaching
Palani for Thai Pusam is about
10,000. For Pankuni Uttiram,
50,000 kavadis arrive. It
is kavadi to your right, kavadi
to your left, kavadi in front
of you, kavadi behind you,
kavadi above you and kavadi
below you.
The
kavadis are borne by common
folk as well as by millionaires
who are otherwise confined
to their air-conditioned suites.
They all come walking (without
footwear) in groups from their
homes at a distance of about
a hundred miles while scores
and scores of empty limousines
follow them. Crowds line the
entire route, cheer the kavadi
bearers and offer them tender
coconut drinks in praise of
their display of courage and
determination.
