Kandaswamy temple festival begins tomorrow:

Revival of Hindu cultural traditions

by Chelvatamby MANICCAVASAGAR

Nallur, which is situated about two kilometres to the North of the town of Jaffna was the capital of the medieval kingdom of Jaffna.

God Kandan on the chariot

It was established and developed by the Arya Chakkaravatti rulers. In fact, under the Arya Chakkaravattis, who were great patrons of learning and the Saiva tradition, the peninsula of Jaffna became a stronghold of the orthodox form of Saivism, which has attained the peak of its development in South India during the first three centuries of the second millennium of the Christian era.

Indeed, there were more than 500 Hindu temples in Jaffna before the Portuguese occupation in the early 17th century. Traditions claim that the principal temples in Nallur and its suburbs were constructed under the first king of the Chinkai Aryan dynasty.

Furthermore, the Kanthaswamy temple at Nallur occupies a position of pre-eminence among the temples of Jaffna. The number of devotees participating in daily services at this temple far exceeds that at any other Hindu temple in the Jaffna peninsula, during the annual festival season streams of devotees and pilgrims converge at this temple premises in exceedingly large numbers.

It is significant that all the festivals, rites and observances found in the Hindu tradition are conducted at the Nallur temple with regularity, splendour and pageantry.

It is the only temple where worship is conducted six times daily and all activities commence at 5 o'clock in the morning and end at seven in the evening.

The distinctive feature of the daily services at this temple is that they are conducted in the manner of an elaborate festival.

Further, the annual festival of this temple will commence tomorrow (July 27) with the hoisting of the flag. In fact, God Kanda or Murukan, the favourite deity of both Buddhists and Hindus from pre-historic times still occupies a prominent position in the religious ideology and traditions of the people of South India and Sri Lanka.

Murukan is also known as Kandaswamy, Subramanya, Karthikeya, Arumugamswamy, Shanmuga, and Velayuthan.

He is represented in mythology and painting as a youthful benign deity exemplifying in boundless measure the Hindu ideals of grace, beauty and wisdom. The name Murukan is derived from the Tamil word Muruku which denotes infinite beauty.

Nallur Kandaswamy temple

In the Hindu tradition infinite beauty, which generates glory. An inherent quality of the supreme divinity.

Thai Pongal, Thai Poosam, Navarathri and Thiruvampavai are among the most important festivals conducted at this temple. The Thai Pongal ceremony is performed at the temple by the chief Brahmin priest. On the day of Thai Poosam, the Vel and the images of Theivanai and Valli are taken in procession round the temple on an elaborately decorated chariot.

The Thiru Vempavai festival is conducted at this temple in Markali (December January). During this period all the verses in the Thiru Vempavai of Saint Manikkavasagar are recited in the early hours of the morning. The annual festival which commences in the month of July-August lasts for 25 days. During this period the images of the deities placed on vehicles of different sorts are taken in procession round the temple at noon and in the night. An impressive display of splendour and adornment in different colours are characteristic of the processions.

The 'Ther' or Chariot festival and the water-cutting ceremony are attended by tens of thousands of devotees streaming forth from all parts of the peninsula of Jaffna.

Furthermore, all the principal elements in the religions and the cultural traditions of Hinduism are reflected at the Nallur Kandaswamy temple in greater measure.