HINDUISM

Nallur Kandaswamy temple annual chariot festival:

Vehicle for peace and prosperity

Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar

The annual festival of Nallur Kandaswamy temple commenced with the flag hoisting ceremony on August 4 and will end up with the chariot festival on September 5. In fact, the hoisting of the flag ceremony is followed by various yaagams, abhishekams, pujas and ceremonies over a period of 26 days. These ceremonies are conducted in the Moolasthaanam, the sanctum sanatorium and in the Vasantha Mandapam where poojas are offered to the Utsava Murthi.

Nallur Kandaswamy temple

The Panchalaji rituals at the end of the pujas is performed at all the shrines simultaneously creating a beautific experience in the devotee.

Major festivals during the span 26 days are the Mar Jam, Thirukkarthikai, Vel festival, Thandayuthapani festival and sapparam. The entire period is sanctified by these festivals where the devotees revere the Lord making it the social, cultural and spiritual milieu of Hindu society.

The chariot festival is a colourful festival followed by water cutting ceremony on the next day. The Thirukkalyanam, the symbolic wedding ceremony is also conducted and finally the lowering of the flag. In fact, each one of these events has a deep significance corresponding to the Panchakritiyas or five activities of Godhood namely creation, preservation, dissolution, obscuration and granting of grace in one's own life. The highlight of the festival is the Ther or chariot festival. On the day of the chariot festival the God Muruga is colourfully decorated and illuminated and placed on the chariot and drawn by the devotees with the words Haro-Hara, Haro-Hara.

The chariot festival is followed by the water cutting ceremony where the deities taken to the Temple pond or Kerni and is dipped in the water. Thereafter the devotees plunge in to cleanse themselves of their sins.

This signifies "BATHING" in the grace of God.

On the night of the Theertham or water cutting ceremony, the actual wedding ceremony is conducted by the priests and with the tying of the Thali by the Bridegroom, the Lord and His consort are worshipped. The mysticism symbolizes the union of the individual with the supreme.

God Muruga or God Kandathaswamy as valorous youth is said to have performed several brave deeds including the imprisonment of Brahma and inspiring the meaning of the sacred word Aum to Lord Shiva. Besides, God Skanda fought with Asura Leader Surapadman and defeated him.

Though Surapadman assumed several monstrous forms and shapes, he finally sought refuge in the form of a mango tree.

Surapadman was ultimately defeated, was not slain but was commanded to serve God Skanda in the form of a peacock and was also given a place in his banner as a rooster cock. Thereafter the Devas were released and they celebrated the victory.

In fact, the leaf shaped spear in God Skanda's hand signifies that a man's knowledge should be sharp. It should not only be sharp, it should also be wide. In fact, a man may be very intelligent and knowledgeable, but he should be humble in all his dealings.

It is very often said that "the creator of the universe, Brahma resides in the Navel of Lord Vishnu. Similarly in the hearts of men reside the creative urge and faith of the world. This is clearly evident from the manner the people of whole of Jaffna pray at Nallur Kandaswamy Temple.Indeed, the annual festival at Nallur temple usually draw a large crowd of devotees irrespective of ethnicity, creed or religion from all over Sri Lanka. In fact, the festivals at Nallur Kandaswamy temple provide opportunities for religious, social, spiritual and cultural developments and preservation.

It is an accepted and acknowledged fact that Sri La Sri Arumuga Navalar the Champion Reformer of the Saivite Hindus launched the Saivism Revival Movement during the 19th century from Nallur temple.

As such, let us pray to God Kandaswamy and receive His Divine blessings.

Supreme reality of being human

The world is an expression of time, space and causation which consists of pairs of opposites. There is only one supreme reality which is beyond all these.

The supreme reality is the substratum of every being. One should maintain his activities on physical, mental and intellectual level. It is because of unmanifested thoughts and desires.

To ascertain the knowledge of self and attain the eternal pece, one has to dehypnotize himself by negating his body, mind and intellect gradually and overcome all the sufferings and sorrows.

The supreme reality existed in the past, exists in the present and will exist in future, even if it was not realised by rhishis and sages.

The true development of a human being is the inner development which is attained by spiritual knowledge. Humanbeings mostly possess ceratin secular knowledge. Negative emotions are the obstacles, one faces on the process of mental development, where more time and effort is necessary to negate these. Therefore, inspiration of spiritual guidelines uplift one to the most highest degree, where one gains the knowledge of the self, by which a state of total awareness is attained, to face solve and overcome situations on all aspects.

Karma, Bakthi and Gnana Yoga have to be observed simultaneously and systematically to develop the inner personality and spirituality.

Praying to God on awareness of divinity, thanking for what is given and not begging is Bakthi Yoga. Working for a higher ideal with sacrifice without ego and selfishness is Karma Yoga.

Constant thought of differentiating real and unreal is Gnana Yoga.

Vedantha is a philosophy which has to be studied. One who is striving to attain bliss, facing the challenges in life, should choose a relatively peaceful place for spiritual practices. Once one experiences the knowledge, it is called wisdom.

Humanbeings are classified under two broad groups base on their nature namely aggressive and passive.

The aggressive are those who act an operate using their intellect. They think, differentiate and analyses their actions. They never follow the life of their family or their elders in their hereditary.

A person who is aggressive shapes the environment, situation and circumstances according to his own individuality with his own intellect.

The passive humanbeings are the persons who act from their mind without the guidance of the intellect. They live a mechanical pattern of life blindly following their families and the examples set by them. Such persons are being shaped by the environment, situations and circumstances.

A passive person lives an unintelligent dogged life. He doesn't possess the intellect, to rise above the external influences and lead a meaningful and purposeful life.

Both passive and aggressive persons can be either bad or good.

The passively bad persons lead a wrongful immortal life. They do not wilfully scheme activities of bad nature. They are caught up in a bad mode of life.

The passively good persons automatically act in a good manner, which is laid upon them from their past. They do not realise it to be good. They work or involve in activities of good nature.

Aggressive is the opposite of passive.

Aggressively bad persons use corruptive actions in order to fulfil their own selfish motives. They go against rules and regulations custom and tradition, in order to attain their self-centred targets which will be undoubtedly a favourable achievement.

The aggressive good, are very rare. The aggressive good is inherently virtuous and divine. He uses his intellect to benefit the one and all. His activities are in favour of the community.

He studies facts, foresees consequences and woks towards the best interest of the people. A single aggressively good person can bring about peace and harmony to the entire community.

Most of the humanbeings live at the level of their mind and its emotions, feelings likes and dislikes. They hardly use their brains. Also aggressive good are very rare. So the aggressive bad exploit the passive and they, the good and the bad become their victims.

This is why the honest suffer while the dishonest prosper.

This is an extract from the discussion forum on Vedanta treatise conducted by Umayalji at Aaraniyam Veluvanarama flats, Wellawatte.

Religious discourse

G Arulananthan

‘Sivaththiru’ M S Srithayalan

Sivaththiru" M S Srithayalan will conduct a programme (religious discourse) at Colombo Tamil Sangam on August 13 commencing at 9.30 am, presided by M Kathirgamanathan, President of the Tamil Sangam. The aim of this programme is to promote and develop the talents of the younger generation and to enrich and enhance the knowledge and skills pertaining to 'Pirasangam', Pannisai, speech and various other art forms.

"Sivaththiru" Srithayalan is an educationist who served as a teacher, teachers' in-service advisor, Director of Education and finally worked in the Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs as Senior Assistant Director.

Besides, he is an author of several books in regard to customs of Hindus and rituals and also a veteran radio artiste.

In fact, his Prasangams have been featured in Radio and Television on several occasions and have been greatly recognized and appreciated by people from all walks of life.

He has been conferred with several titles and awards like 'Sivagnathurajththa', 'Kanathamilmani', 'Kalaignanakesari', 'Vakesakalapamani' and 'Nambiyadipodi'. He has even acted in several Tamil dramas and a debater and orator of high standard.

In recognition and appreciation of his 'Pirasangam' which he rendered at London Lucyem Shivan Temple in 2002 he was conferred with the title of 'Elaiya Variyar.'