6. Navaratri Utsav LakshaDeepam Lakshaarchana
In October, 1916, the festival of Navarathri was celebrated grandly in the Kumbakonam mutt premises. During each of the nine days, special prayer service with a lakh archana to Devi was conducted. Lamps lit with ghee, a lakh in number as well as free food to one lakh Brahmins was also done as part of the celebration. Sri C. Subramania Bharathiar has commented about this festival in his article and an excerpt follows: “ It is common around the land to celebrate the Goddess and her splendor during the spring season when she showers her blessings. It is a common and great practice to worship her during these nine days. There was flash news in a newspaper that special celebrations were to be conducted on this occasion at the Kumbakonam Sankara mutt.
Even though it was a common practice, I was curious about Sankara mutt and started to read the news. More than half the article was about Shastras and it was amazing to see the Shastras in a commercial newspaper. But the Shastras were truthful and I was thrilled to read the story”. The key people who took the initiative in conducting this festival are landlords in the Tanjore district including Billur Abhirami Iyer, Villiyanur Vaidyanatha Iyer, Kottur Krishna Iyer, Kothangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Kallur Vengappa Iyer, M.R.Ramasesha Iyer , proprietor of Ganesh Company in Madras, and Chittamalli Subramania Iyer. It should be noted here that the above mentioned were encouraged and supported monetarily by Srilasri Chokkalinga Thambiran Swamigal of Thirupanandal Kasi mutt, the landlord from Andipatti S.R.M.C.Petthachi Chettiar and Nangavaram Rajappa Iyer.
In the first stage of the mutt, a huge canopy with art work was set up. Twelve thousand lamps were arranged in the shapes of lingam, rishabham, elephant and Dwara Palakas. These lamps were lighted on each of the ten nights using the expensive ghee. While SriVidya homam was happening on one side, Chandi homam was being conducted by pundits on another side. Hundreds of scholars were reciting Ramayana, Soundaryalahari, Bhagawatham, Devi Mahatmiyam and Bhagavat Geetha. Vedic scholars were reciting from all the Vedas in one side, while poets were showering the audience with their talented poems and monologues.
Instruments that are favored by Goddess, especially veena, were being constantly played. The musicologists and artists of that day were competing to offer their art in the lotus feet of Devi. On the day of Saraswathi puja, the concerts of the famous artists Ramnad Puchi Iyengar and Madurai Pushpavanam Iyer took place. The residents of Tanjore district, known for their keen interest in music, gathered in numbers and enjoyed
the concerts immensely. When Swamigal visited each of these events, the happiness of the crowd cannot be measured. The tough job of providing food to more than a lakh people was undertaken by Mahan Teppaperumalnallur Shivan. The local businesses and merchants started preparing for the event by sending food articles to the organizers, even a month before the start of the festival.
On the tenth day, being Vijayadasami, Swamigal visited all the temples. The sight of the Swamigal riding on the elephant was seen by thousands of people. The procession that was a mile long was arranged and organized by Pethachi Chettiar and Sri Chockalinga Thambiran Swamigal. On both sides of the procession, there were strobe lights, dazzling fireworks, six groups of nayanam, three groups of band, veda parayanam, and group singing Thevaram, Bhajan group, four elephants and dancing horses were part of the procession. To top them all, it was the sight of our Acharya in his full splendor that was most memorable for those fortunate to be present there.
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