Alangaram of the Panchamoorthies for Maharadham Procession

Below are the Alangarams of the Panchamoorthies in the Kalayana Mandapam, on the morning of November 22, 2015. After aarti, the Panchamoorties are taken to their respective Radhams (chariots) that they may perform circumambulation of Arunachaleswarar Temple on this day of the great Festival of Maharadham. 

Lord Ganesha

During functions of Deepam Festival, the panchamoorties are taken on procession. These panchamoorties are: Ganesha, Arunachaleswarar, Amman, Subramaniyar and Chandikeswarar. 

Arunachaleswarar

The Goddess

Lord Subramaniyar

Chandikeswarar

Chandikeswarar as he became to be known is one of the 63 Nayanmars. For those unfamiliar with the history of Chandikeswarar and how he gained stewardship of the Gods, the story goes as follows:- 

“Chandikeswarar,a devotee of Lord Shiva was born in the village of Seynalur on the banks of the river Manni in the Chola country, as a young lad named Vicharasarman. 

He was the son of a pious and learned Brahmin named Yajnadatta. Vicharasarman was of great intelligence. One day when the lad was going to school, he saw a cowherd brutally assaulting a cow. Angry at the behaviour of the cowherd, young Vicharasarman took upon himself the duty of tending the cows of the village, to which the villagers acceded. From that day the cows looked happier and yielded more milk. More than the cow’s udders could hold. Vicharasarman, seeing that the milk was being wasted, collected it in vessels, set up lingams made of sand and poured this excess milk to bathe the lingas with intense piety for Shiva.The cowherd who had lost position on account of this Brahmin boy, saw him in this act and found this a good cause for denouncing him. He immediately brought it to the notice of the village elders as well as Yajnadatta, Vicharsarman’s father. The father saw his son pouring milk on small sand mounds and without investigating, kicked one of the lingas in anger. Young Vicharasarmana came out of his reverie and cut off the leg of his father with an axe with which he had kicked a linga. 

Shiva was pleased with the devotion of this boy and he appeared in person along with Parvati his consort, before the boy. Shiva embraced him and made him in charge of his ganas (devotees or followers). He was also made the steward of his household, naming him Chandikeswarar.” 

Preparing the Chariots for Maharadham Day

Throughout this week preparations have been underway preparing the five radhams for the panchamoorthies for the big day of the Maharadham procession. This year the procession falls on November 22, 2015. As all five of the Radhams (wooden chariots) are so large, they each have a permanent parking spot on the side of Car Street -- i.e. the main thoroughfare running in front of the Alankaram Mandapam on the east side of the Temple. 

Yesterday (i.e. 21 November, 2015) repair and decorating crews were out in force for last minute preparations for the big day of the Maharadham Procession. 

Decorating one of the smaller of the wooden chariots

Clambering on top of a chariot

Town in constant excitement and activity throughout the Deepam Festival

Adding Buntings and Banners to the Maharadham

The Maharadham will be pulled by devotees using metal chains

A story about the Karthigai Maha Radham

There are a number of powerful sacred burial sites dedicated to Sufi saints in Tiruvannamalai, one of the most famous being that of the woman saint, Syedini Bibi. 

In 1880 the Darghar in Car Street was built by the Nawab of the time in honour of this great Sufi Saint. Although the burial site faces noisy Car Street, it is renowned for its powerful and peaceful vibrations. It is believed that both Sri Seshadri Swamigal and Sri Ramana Maharshi often sat in meditation at this place, and in more contemporary times the tomb was frequently favoured by Sri Yogi Ramsuratkumar 

Darghar on Car Street

Syedini Bibi came from the middle east in the early nineteenth century. Like many Sufis before her she landed at Nagore on the south-east coast. From there she travelled inland a few hundred kilometers to Arunachala where she settled for the rest of her life. 

Little is known about the life of this saint, however there are several famous stories connected with her tomb. 

Once such story concerns the Karthigai Festival. 

1880 Karthigai Maha Radham

The story goes that the Tiruvannamalai authorities decided to demolish the burial grounds (where Syedini Bibi was buried), in order to widen the road to more easily accommodate the Maha Radham (Big Car Chariot) during the Deepam Festival. 

In response to this proposal, many protested against disturbing the Saint’s grave, and the authorities postponed the demolition. The myth that was handed down claims that the postponement came about because during the Karthigai Festival, as the gigantic Maha Radham (Wooden Chariot) passed, one of its huge wheels accidentally knocked the side of Syedini Bibi’s tomb and the Maha Radham immediately burst into flames. 

Maha Radham Arunachala Deepam 2010

One of the most well attended functions during the Arunachala Deepam Festival is always the day of the Maha Radham. On this day, five enormous chariots carrying representations of the Gods, circumbulate the perimeter of the 26 acre Arunachaleswarar Temple compound. The largest of these chariots is the Maha Radham, carrying the Lord Arunachaleswarar.

Over the years another major part of the day of 'Maha Radham' is ‘karumbu thottil’ -- which involves the fulfilment of a vow by parents, who previously promised Lord Arunachaleswarar that if granted a child, would return and carry the child in a 'sugar cane cradle' around the Temple.

A short narrative in a National newspaper on this subject begins thus:

"Hundreds of parents circumbulated Sri Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai town carrying their child in ‘karumbu thottil’, a cradle made of a new silk sari tied to sugarcane, to fulfil their prayers to Lord Arunachaleswarar.

A common sight on the seventh and tenth days of the Karthigai Deepam festival, the ritual is the culmination of a vow made to the deity. The devotees and temple priests strongly believe that couples will be blessed with a child if they promise to Lord Annamalaiyar that they will carry the infant around the temple in a sugarcane cradle. Not less than 10,000 couples kept their vow this year." To continue reading go to this link here.






This year at the beginning of the day long circumbulation, there was an incident in which the back wheels of the huge chariot over ran a number of devotees. We can report that no lives were lost and the devotees involved in the incident are now recovering.

In some of the below photographs, its possible to gauge the size and weight of the huge chariots, which are pulled with chains manually by devotees (gents on the right, ladies on the left) around the vast Temple perimeter.












By the time the Chariots have completed their full circumbulation of Arunachaleswarar Temple, it is late in the evening, and the chariots are once again positioned in their permanent homes on the side of 'Car Street' in the front of Arunachaleswarar Temple.

More Maha Radham Photographs

Click on all photographs to enlarge


Further to my posting on December 8th of the Big Car Festival which is part of the annual Deepam Festival, I am posting below more photographs of that day.

The ladies in the next photograph are actually holding on to chains attached to the Big Car and pulling it along -- which is its only means of propulsion.

In the below young lads jump on wooden levers jammed under the gigantic car wheels to give it a 'jump start' whenever it gets stuck.

The car started moving at 2 p.m. around the perimeter of the 26 acre Arunachaleswara Temple compound and by the time it had completed its circumbulation, night had fallen.

This year for the very first time I participated in the pulling of the chariot for most of the length of Thiruvoodal Street (which is famous during Pongal for a celebratory drama -- Thiruvoodal Festival -- between Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati). It was an amazing and thrilling experience.