Thypooya Kavadiyattam. Perunna.
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ThypooyamA festival occurring in the Malayalam month Makaram (January-February), the day of the star Pooyam around Pournami (Full Moon) is celebrated as Thypooyam. There was a demon named Tharakasuran who was troubling the Rishis and Saints. Lord Muruga was called by his parents Lord Shiva and Parvati and given the job of destroying the asuran. Lord Muruga set off with the blessings of his parents, to destroy the demon. He carried twelve weapons, eleven of which were given by his father Lord Shiva and the 'Vel' given by his mother Parvati. Lord Muruga destroyed Tharakasuran on the Pooyam Nakshatram day in the Tamil month of Thai and hence Thypooyam is celebrated in all Murugan temples.
Generally, people take a vow to offer the Lord a Kavadi for the sake of tiding over a great calamity. No doubt, the worldly object is achieved for the devotee who takes the Kavadi. After the ceremony he fells that his inner spiritual being gets awakened. This is also a method that ultimately leads to the supreme state of devotion.
The Kavadi has various shapes and sizes, from the simple shape of a hawker's storehouse (a wooden stick with two baskets at each end, slung across the shoulder) to the costly palanquin structure, profusely flower-bedecked and decoratively interwoven with peacock feathers.
The two baskets hanging at each end of the Kavadi contain milk, rose water, chandanam, tender coconut water, bhasmam, Sesame oil(Enna)etc that the devotee has vowed to offer the Lord. The more devout among them, and especially those who do it as a Sadhana, collect these articles by begging (bhiksha). They travel on foot from village to village, and beg from door to door. The devotees conduct pooja for Idumban before starting the bhiksha.
Some keen devotees undertake to walk barefoot from home to one of the shrines of Lord Subramanya, bearing the Kavadi all the way and collecting materials for the offering.
The Kavadi-bearer is required to observe various rules between the time he takes up the Kavadi, and the day of the offering. He has to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the Kavadi, and at the time of offering it to the Lord. He wears saffron-coloured cloth and carry a conical scarlet cap and a cane silver-capped at both ends. The Kavadi-bearer very often observes silence. He observes strict celibacy. Only pure, vegetarian food is taken; he abstains from all sorts of intoxicating drinks and drugs. He thinks of God all the time.
Many of the Kavadi-bearers, especially those who do it as a spiritual Sadhana, impose various forms of self-torture. Some pass a sharp little spear (“vels”) through their tongue, which is made to protrude out of the mouth. Others may pass a spear through the cheek. This sort of piercing is done in other parts of the body also. The vels represent the spear of Lord Muruga that killed Idumban. Lemons are pierced and hanged from the “vels”. The acid juice of lemons and bhasma spread over the pierced flesh cures bleeding.
The Kavadi-bearer enjoys a high state of religious fervour. His very appearance is awe-inspiring; there is divine radiance on his face. Devotees often experience the state of feeling united with the Lord.
Miracles at the time of Kavadi yattam.
From the time immemorial, the thaipooya kavadi of perunna temple has become the place for miracles. As the kavadi festival has competitive spirit ( two areas namely padinjattum bhagam and kishakku- west and east) both groups are trying their very best to make their kavadi better. The major competitive events in this kavadi festivals are elephents " thalapokka malsaram" ( which is there from the time immemorial- but not so famous in medias); and chenda melam.
The thaipooya kavadi festival of this temple is a world famous one and both padinjattum bhagama and kishakkum bhagam will bring the best elephants in kerala for them. Both the groups usually has 7 to 11 or 15 elephants. Almost all the famous elephant owners know the elephant competition in this temple and some of them have actually become afraid to participate. The major reason for this is that as the " elephant from padinjattum bhagam" has the special right to have the original thidambu of Lord Velayudha, the other elephants of kishakkum bhagam; even if it is "big" couldn’t be able to raise his head above the head of padinjattum bahagam's elephant.
People have witnessed this miracle for centuries and still it is happening here. Examples are many... and it still happens....
For example in year 1998/99, the main elephant for kishakkum bhagam was famous Athira Rajasekharan and for padinjatum bhagam it was shajis puthenkulam rajendran ( now trissur sri raman). Athira rajasekharan was the best for thalayeduppu at that time and he was able to stand his head raised for hours. But for the first time in his life; on the day of thaipooya kavadiyattam suddenly he became unable even to move his head and lost the competition. witnessing this; the owner of the other elephant (Sri Puthenkulam Shaji) donated a part of his elephants rent to the padinjattumbahagam as an offering.
In year 2001 even the biggest elephant of all times kandambulli balanarayanan( who was 10 feet 8 inch in height) has failed to raise his head above the then padinjattum bhagamas Puthenkulam Anatha padmanabhan.....( this was anatha padmanabhans first festival in kerala and at that time he was less than 10 feet.)
Can you believe this?????????? The list continues.....
In 2007 puthrikovil vinayakan for padinjatum bhagam defeated Guruvayoor Valiya Kesavan and Mangalam kunnu Ayyappan. And in 2008, Chierai Krishnaprasad is going to compete for padinjattumbhagam against kishakum bhagam.
CHENDA MELAM
For the last 7 or 8 generations famous group of "thiruvalla chenda melam" experts are performing for padinjattum bhagam. They include thiruvalla Radhakrishnan, thiruvalla Harikumar, Kalanilayam Radhakrishnan, Kalabharathi Unnikrishnan, Kaviyoor Sadasivan and so on...
