Chennai: A delightful blend of colourful processions and gorgeous alankaram of the goddess in her various manifestations besides the golu, hold the devotees in sway.As Vaishnava temples take out the Utsava Murthy in a procession, the Amman temples and also Shaivaite temples join the celebrations by displaying numerous dolls.
During Purattasi, the month of Dasara, Sri Vedavalli Thayar takes centre stage at the Navaratri festival at the ancient Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple in the city. The festival culminates on the tenth day, Vijayadasami which witnesses a procession of Sri Parthasarathy Swamy in full splendour.
Sri Narasimhar has His outing on all Saturdays. The Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple, Triplicane, here, is the 61st Divya Desam in the list of 108 Vaishnava Divya Desams.
The Venkateswara Swamy temple within the TTD Information Centre, T. Nagar, too has commenced the Navaratri Brahmotsavam on Wednesday. The event will culminate on Oct. 19 with the Vijayadasami Parveta Utsavam.
On the second day of the festival, the Lord was taken out in a procession on Hamsa Vahanam. “Here we follow all the rituals that are observed at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati. There won’t be any deviation,”a source at the temple said.
At Sri Ashtalakshmi temple, Besant Nagar, the navaratri - dedicated to the Supreme Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi, is celebrated for ten days and on all the days, “Sri Sooktam Aaradhana”is performed at 10 am. A procession in the evening marks the occasion.
In Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple, Goddess Sri Ashtadasabhuja Durga Parameshwari blesses devotees sporting different avatars daily. During the mornings devotees recite Devi Mahathmya and other religious texts dedicated to the Goddess. Suhasini pooja is also performed during the festival here.
One can also witness the colourful golu during the navaratri days at the ancient Sri Kapaleshwar temple, Mylapore.
Meenakshi temple dazzles in golu display
The renowned Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple, Madurai, which attracts several hundred devotees every day, always dazzles in the golu display. During this important event, the entire temple is swathed in lights and colours, and the tall towers glitter with illumination during the nights.
People not only visit the temple during the day for darshan of the Goddess and the Lord and the golu but also throng the temple to see the decorations. Almost every year the dolls are arranged as per a theme.
In all the temples, devotees have been provided space by the temple authorities to organise Navaratri golu. The kolam or rangoli is changed every day to serve as added attraction. Devotees visiting the golu are given betel leaf, turmeric, coconut and a blouse bit. Several temples having idols of Goddesses as the presiding deities, display mythological characters in the golu theme and these characters come alive on thermocol, sand and even chocolates.
Which temple to visit this Navaratri
Though hundreds of temples dot the city, here is a list of some of the temples where devotees could have a visual treat this navatri. The seventh century Sri Kapaleshwar temple where the Goddess is Karpagambal or the goddess of wish yielding tree, Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple, Vadapalani Andavar temple, Ashtalakshmi temple, Kaligambal temple, Sri Vadivudai Amman Thyagaraja temple, Nagalakshmi Narayana Murthy temple, Kanakadurga temple, Pazhandi Amman temple, Sri Santhoshi Matha temple, Mundagakanni Amman temple, Sri Angala Parameswari temple, Sri Devi Karumari Amman temple, Sri Kamakshi Amman temple and Sri Varadaraja (Devarajaswamy) temple, in Kancheepuram.
