27th July
2016
When
I told my friends about the missed opportunity of attending my friend Mr. Venkatesh, son’s
marriage at Devakottai, one of my friends, Mr. Nachiappan, in turn, invited me to Devakottai to attend the Kottai Amman’s annual 15-day festival,
which is unique in nature and lakhs of people used to attend from various parts of
India. So I decided to attend the festival to get the blessings of
Sri Kottai Amman. I stayed with his family and visited the Two Shiva
temples and a Saibaba temple.
SRI
KOTTAI AMMAN TEMPLE, DEVAKOTTAI.
This
temple also belongs to 40 sections, 130 pullis of Devakottai Nagarathars with
5 trustees on board for 2-year periods. But as per the comment, Devakottai Kottai Amman belongs to 40 clans of Nagarathar totaling around 5000 families (pullis that we call) and not 230 pullia as appearing in one of the comments. Please stand corrected on this data. Once in 16 years, a group gets a
trustee of the temple. The 15-day annual festival will be conducted from 18th July
to 1st August 2016. During the rest of the period, people used to
worship through the grill. The temple is very simple, with a front mandapam
constructed with Mangalore tile roofing. In the sanctum, there is no
moortham, but only a platform. During function days, a kumbh with coconut was
placed on the platform and decorated like Amman.
Pooja
was performed only to the Kumbh decorated like Amman. But abhishekam was
conducted 2 times a day at to balipeedam installed in the mandapam. The abhishekam was done with Thiraviyam, Milk, Curd, honey, cut fruits,
Panchamirtham, Sandalwood paste, Turmeric paste, Tender Coconut water,
Panneer, Lemon, etc. About 300 to 400 liters of milk were used for
Abhishekam. After Abhishekam, the balipeedam was decorated with flowers.
Devakottai Nagarathars used to attend this festival every year, from where they are. Amman is very powerful and people pray for all like, like diseases, buying
property, getting visas for foreign countries, employment, getting married,
Children, etc., etc. After wishes are fulfilled, people used to offer to
Amman, like Pongal, Sugar cane cradle (Children will be carried through this
cradle), Ma Vilakku, etc.
Sugarcane cradle – an offering by a devotee after the child is born
People
will not fry food items during the 15 days, and it is believed that this
will increase the heat in Amman. After the function, Decorated Amman will be
immersed in the temple pond to reduce the heat. It was learned that during the
function days, no mutton shops will open for sale. Till 15 years back, goats and
cocks were sacrificed to Amman. This practice is stopped now.
HOW
TO REACH :
Devakottai
is about 20 km from Karaikudi
The
temple is on Oorani Street. Autos are available from the Devakottai Bus Stand.
LOCATION
OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK
HERE
Milk
abhishekam
Pushpa ( flower ) decoration
---OM
SHIVAYA NAMA:---
Devakottai Kottai Amman maedai belongs to 40 clans of nagarathar totalling around 5000 families( pullird what we call) and not 230 pullird as appearing in one of the comments. Please stand corrected on this data
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correct.. I request you to clarify it is Pullis or Pullird
Delete