| Wannakkam |
| Navarathiri - Viyajadasami |
| The festival of Navarathri is a great religious festival where God is adored and worshipped as the Divine Mother. It is dedicated in particular to the female aspects of our Hindu Holy Trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.This festival starts on the first bright fortnight of the Tamil month of purattasi between September and October in the western calendar. This special celebration begins at sunset and is celebrated for nine days. "Nava" means nine and "rathri" means night. |
| As well as being dedicated to our three main goddesses. Goddess Durga, Goddess Luxmi and Goddess Saraswathy. The first three days are dedicated to Mother Durga, the second three days are for Mother Luxmi, whilst the last three days are especially for Mother Saraswathy. Mother Durga is the destructive aspect of Goddess Parvathi consort of Lord Shiva. In this form she is quite fierce and helps us to purify ourselves physically by destroying the negative qualities in man. Thus the first three days of Navarathri are dedicated to her, to cleanse our physical form in readiness for the spirituality to come. The next three days are dedicated to Mother Luxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity and the consort of Lord Vishnu. The last three days are dedicated to Goddess Saraswathy the consort of Lord Brahma. Mother Saraswathy represents wisdom, learning and the creative arts. She is seen sitting on a white lotus, representing purity of body and mind. |
| Navarathri celebrations traditionally commence with the setting up of a "Ko1u" a display of dolls of the Goddesses. The ko1u is a structure of five, seven or nine steps. The images of the Goddesses are placed in the centre of the Ko1u and around them are arranged a magnificent array of statues of various deities, sages and living beings created by God on earth. The ko1u is also daily decorated with fresh flowers and throughout the nine days there is a display of co1ourfu1 lights. The central picture of the Goddess will be changed every three days and an elaborate pooja is performed every day for the Goddess. |
| Viyajadasami |
| Vijaya Dasami the day after Navarathri, marks a day of victory of good over evil and there are many stories linked to this. Nursery children are also given initiation on this day in the alphabet by the temple priests or by others. Navarathri is a festival of great significance to Hindus in all parts of the world. It is the time to give specia1 prayers to the Divine Mother and to offer intense worship to get her grace. May our Gracious Mother bestow upon us all spiritual power, divine qualities, and the knowledge to set us free. |
| Settled by V.Vijayanathan |
| New year and Thai Pongal |
| Annual Temple Festival |
| Deepavali - Hindu Festival of Light |
| Vinayaka Chathurthi |
| Maha Sivarathiri |
| Iyappa Swamy |