Madurai: It seems a case of inflicting pain on oneself to mitigate others’ pain. A 45-year-old AIADMK cadre, Irulandi, has been lying on a bed of thorns in a temple here seeking divine intervention of goddess Pechi Amman for speedy recovery of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in Chennai.
Stretched out on a bed of thorns that is of four-ft high inside the famous Pechi Amman temple on the banks of Vaigai River, Irulandi is reciting the deity’s name every five minutes.
“Within the next 24 hours Pechi Amman will take way all the pain and suffering of our Amma,” said Irulandi. The thorns are seen piercing the back portion of his body including thighs, shoulders and neck. The bed was prepared using four different types of thorns following the ritual traditions. The top layer is made of ‘alore vera (southu kathalai)’.
Devotees who throng the temple are seeking blessing from Irulandi. “Amma has spent her entire life serving for the welfare of Tamil people, but paid little attention to her health. Our Pechi Amman will improve her health,” said Alayamma Cheeri (75) after she got blessings from Irulandi.
“Irulandi, who is also a priest in Vinayaga temple, has begun his prayer on the bed of thorns at 7 am in the morning, after the AIADMK minister Sellur K. Raju and other senior cadres participated in the special pooja in the temple and offered Annadhanam for 1,000 people,” said
Sakthi Vinayagapandian, AIADMK 81 ward secretary. Irulandi will not consume even a single drop of water for next 24 hours still he completes his prayer lying on the bed of thorns.
A big hoarding with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s picture has been kept near him.
Commenting on this ritual, renowned folklorist A. Sivasubramanian said that subaltern people in rural Tamil Nadu practice it, mainly for goddess for fulfilling their prayers.
“Unlike urban people who express their ‘bhakthi’ through reciting mantras or devotional lines in praise of the Deity, the subalterns follow extreme form of penance by undergoing pain and suffering to receive blessings from the deity,” he added.
Meanwhile, AIADMK functionaries have also organised special pooja in all the major temples in Madurai district. And nearly 3,500 students and professors from Yadava college also organised special prayer for speedy recovery of the Chief Minister.
