Chithirai Thiruvizha at Sri Meenakshi Temple
The coronation ceremony at Meenakshi Temple.
By Ponni Sivaraman
PEARLAND: Chithirai Thiruvizha (Festival celebrated during the Tamil month of Chithirai) is an annual celebration in Madurai, India during the month of April / May. It is one of the longest celebrations of the world and lasts for nearly a month. Following that tradition, Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, also commenced its 12 day celebration on May 1, with Vigneswara and Vasthusanthi poojas.
Sri Meenakshi with the Grand Scepter in Coronation splendor.
On May 2, (day 2) Sri Manicka Sundara Bhattar hoisted a flag bearing an image of Nandi on the Dwajastambam or kodimaram, declaring the festival officially open; the flag will stay hoisted until the end of the festival.
Day 3 was the much awaited Meenakshi Pattabhishekam or the Coronation of the Queen. Hundreds of Devotees gathered at the temple on a beautiful breezy evening of May 3, and were speechless spectators to the glorious crowning of the Goddess as the Empress. Legend has it, that Meenakshi was born (rose from the yaga Agni) to Madurai King Malayathuvaja Pandian and his queen Kanchanamalai. Celestial voices instructed the royal couple to raise her as a son and train her in the art of warfare as she would be the heir to the throne. In time, Meenakshi proved herself a mighty warrior, met and chose Lord Sundareswarar as her husband and later married him. Hence Meenakshi Pattabhishekam is celebrated with great joy and it is also believed that this is a transformation of power from Lord Sundareswarar to Goddess Meenakshi who will reign as Queen for four months, and later in the Tamil month of Aavani (August / September) the power reverts back to the Lord. To see the Goddess adorned with her crown (a replica of the diamond crown given to Madurai Meenakshi by Appaji Rayar of Krishnadevaraya’s times) and scepter was a rare sight.
In ancient times the scepter was received by priests as representatives of Meenakshi. However in modern times the Chairman of the board of Trustees of Sri Meenakshi temple receives the Scepter. At Pearland’s Sri Meenakshi temple, this honor is given to the current Chairman of the board Dr. P. Vaduganathan, who accompanied the procession with his wife Nach.
An added jewel to the crown was this year’s Poo (Flower) Pallaku (organized with volunteers led by Roopa Balakrishnan and Dhanam Thiagarajan), which was an unbelievable creation in which the Goddess was taken in a procession along with the other utsava Murthis around the Main temple praharam. A large number of devotees chanting slokas and songs joined the procession. Live Nadaswaram and Thavil music in the procession added to the spiritual vibration already emitting from a gorgeous sunset background. The Mahotsavam event took 12 months of planning,1500 labor hours, 5000 red and white carnations and over 50 volunteers to help decorate the pallaku and to make the event a grand success. MTS provided dinner for all devotees (coordinated by Jeyam Thiagarajan); the Mahotsavam continues to have an excellent variety of cultural programs (coordinated by Mala Gopal). Special thanks to the event coordinators, S. Balakrishnan and C. Vijayarajan, and Religious activities committee’s M. Sriram, Sasidaran Pillai and RAC chair S. Narayanan with all volunteers for the wonderful organization of the event for the devotees enjoyment.
Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Thirukalyanam will culminate the temple’s Annual Mahotsavam on May 11. The kalyanam will be followed by a procession of the deities in the silver chariot (Rathosavam) and later a kalyanam style lunch on banana leaves will be served to all. All are invited to come and enjoy the festivities and the feast and to receive Goddess Meenakshi’s blessings,