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| Maha Shivarathri |
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This festival is celebrated all over India in the month of February. Lord Shiva is the deity, in whose name devotees undergo fasting and stay awake all the night, singing his hymns. This festival is famous at Chidambaram, Kalahasti, Khajiraho and Varanasi and Mumbai. |
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| Navarathri Festival |
| This festival comes in the month of September/October. It is celebrated for nine days.
The nine days of Navarathri include various poojas as follows: |
1. Rajangam
2. Veenaithaazhi
3. Markandeyan
4. Venuganam
5. Kannappa nayanar
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6. Oonjal
7. Piittukku Mann sumandhal
8. Kallinga narthanan
9. Saraswathi poojai |
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The tenth day comes Vijayadasami .This day signifies the victory of Lord Rama and the death of the Assuran Ravana.This day is considered to be auspicious and people join their kids at school on this day. The first three days of worship is towards Goddess Durga, the next three days is dedicated for Goddess Lakshmi, and the last three days is to pray Goddess Sarawathi.
The “Kolu”, is set up in the temples and also devotees setup at their homes, according to their financial status.”Kolu”, is the display showing the deities, modeled out of clay. Devotees can setup “Kolu”, in the temples, where the place is allocated, for those nine days. The best display will be offered on the tenth day of the festival.
This festival is one of the most auspicious and delightful festival, wherein, all children participate enthusiastically in the “Kolu’, preparation .This festival is celebrated all over India in different ways, expressing their gratitude towards Goddess Shakthi, to get everything that is required in life. |
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| Karthigai Deepam |
| Karthigai Deepam is one of the oldest festivals in Tamilnadu, which ages back to the Sangam period (200BC TO 300 AD). This festival is celebrated during the month of “Karthigai”, when the Kruthigai star” appears, on a full moon day. It comes in the month of November/December. Kruthigai star, is the birth star of Lord Murugan.Devotees offer prayers to the deity, and undertake fasting. It is called as the “Festival of lights”. |
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All the Hindus decorate their homes with oil lamps and one can see the entire city glittering with light on that day.
Story behind:
Puranas explain that Lord Murugan came from the third eye of Lord Shiva, during the Kruthigai Natchatram and took the form of six babies, in “Saravana Poigai” wherein they were fed by the Karthigai women. Then he was united into single form by Goddess Parvathi.
This festival is also dedicated for Lord Shiva, and is celebrated in a grand manner in Thiruvannamalai. “Thiruvannamalai Deepam”, as it is called, is said so as it is believed that the deity is in the form of “Jothi”. The festival begins with flag hoisting, in the temple and goes on for nine days. On the tenth day Bharani Deepam is lit in five Agantams and brought to Katchi Mandapam .During the Pradosam time in the evening on the full moon day, the Jothi is lit at the top of the Thiruvannamalai hill, wherein huge crowds, from various parts of the country come to see the deity in the form of fire.
Story behind:
There is an interesting story behind this festival. Once there has been a fight between the two deities, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, upon who is great. Lord Shiva took the form of a huge fire, and asked them to find his head and foot.
But they kept searching for years and could not find at all. At last they came back accepting their failure.Thiruvannamalai is the place where lord took the form of Jothi.Hence in remembrance of this sight; this festival is celebrated every year, indicating that god is reciting everywhere. |
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