2023-04-03

(चि॰)

चैत्रः-01-12 ,सिंहः-मघा🌛🌌 , मीनः-रेवती-12-20🌞🌌 , मधुः-01-14🌞🪐 , सोमः

  • Indian civil date: 1945-01-13, Islamic: 1444-09-12 Ramaḍān, 🌌🌞: सं- मीनः, तं- पङ्गुनि, म- मीनं, प- चेत, अ- च’त
  • संवत्सरः 🌛- शोभनः, 🌌🌞- शुभकृत्, 🪐🌞- शोभनः
  • वर्षसङ्ख्या 🌛- शकाब्दः 1945, विक्रमाब्दः 2080, कलियुगे 5124
  • वर्षसङ्ख्या 🌌🌞- शकाब्दः 1944, विक्रमाब्दः 2079, कलियुगे 5123
  • वर्षसङ्ख्या 🪐🌞 - शकाब्दः 1945, विक्रमाब्दः 2080, कलियुगे 5124
  • 🪐🌞ऋतुमानम् — वसन्तऋतुः उत्तरायणम्
  • 🌌🌞सौरमानम् — शिशिरऋतुः उत्तरायणम्
  • 🌛चान्द्रमानम् — वसन्तऋतुः चैत्रः (≈मधुः)

खचक्रस्थितिः

  • |🌞-🌛|तिथिः — शुक्ल-द्वादशी►06:24; शुक्ल-त्रयोदशी►
  • 🌌🌛नक्षत्रम् — मघा►07:22; पूर्वफल्गुनी► (सिंहः)
  • 🌌🌞सौर-नक्षत्रम् — रेवती►
    • राशि-मासः — फाल्गुनः►
  • 🌛+🌞योगः — गण्डः►27:37*; वृद्धिः►
  • २|🌛-🌞|करणम् — बालवम्►06:24; कौलवम्►19:18; तैतिलम्►
  • 🌌🌛- चन्द्राष्टम-राशिः—मकरः
  • 🌞-🪐 मूढग्रहाः - गुरुः (-6.60° → -5.86°)
  • 🌞-🪐 अमूढग्रहाः - बुधः (-15.88° → -16.58°), शुक्रः (-37.40° → -37.59°), मङ्गलः (-81.21° → -80.73°), शनिः (40.07° → 40.95°)

राशयः
शनि — कुम्भः►. गुरु — मीनः►. मङ्गल — मिथुनम्►. शुक्र — मेषः►. बुध — मेषः►. राहु — मेषः►. केतु — तुला►.

दिनमान-कालविभागाः

  • 🌅—06:07-12:12🌞-18:17🌇
⬇ ⬆ ⬇
चन्द्रः ⬆16:09 ⬇04:42*
शनिः ⬇15:32 ⬆03:50*
गुरुः ⬆06:29 ⬇18:42
मङ्गलः ⬆11:19 ⬇00:04*
शुक्रः ⬆08:19 ⬇20:54
बुधः ⬆07:01 ⬇19:24
राहुः ⬆07:23 ⬇19:46
केतुः ⬇07:23 ⬆19:46
  • 🌞⚝भट्टभास्कर-मते वीर्यवन्तः— प्रातः—06:07-07:38; साङ्गवः—09:10-10:41; मध्याह्नः—12:12-13:43; अपराह्णः—15:14-16:46; सायाह्नः—18:17-19:45
  • 🌞⚝सायण-मते वीर्यवन्तः— प्रातः-मु॰1—06:07-06:56; प्रातः-मु॰2—06:56-07:44; साङ्गवः-मु॰2—09:22-10:10; पूर्वाह्णः-मु॰2—11:48-12:36; अपराह्णः-मु॰2—14:14-15:02; सायाह्नः-मु॰2—16:39-17:28; सायाह्नः-मु॰3—17:28-18:17
  • 🌞कालान्तरम्— ब्राह्मं मुहूर्तम्—04:32-05:20; मध्यरात्रिः—23:01-01:23
  • राहुकालः—07:38-09:10; यमघण्टः—10:41-12:12; गुलिककालः—13:43-15:14
  • शूलम्—प्राची (►09:22); परिहारः–दधि

उत्सवाः

  • कपाली अऱुपत्तु मूवर्, वेङ्कटाचले वसन्तोत्सव-प्रारम्भः, सोम-प्रदोष-व्रतम्

कपाली अऱुपत्तु मूवर्

The Arupathumoovar festival, celebrated on the eighth afternoon of the Panguni festival at the Kapaleeshwarar temple, is a grand event where Lord Shiva, in a majestic procession, grants darshan to the 63 Nayanmars. All the 63 Nayanmars are taken out in procession on this day! While this is itself not unique, as it is celebrated by several Shiva temples as part of their annual brahmotsavam-s, the story of Poompavai and related observances make this festival very unique at Kapaleeshwarar temple! This description, from a 1910 article in Viveka Bodhini magazine, captures the essence of the festival and the story of Poompavai.

The story revolves around Sivanesan Chettiar, a wealthy Mylapore businessman, who plans to marry his daughter Poompavai to Saint Thirugnanasambandar (the 28th of the Nayanmars). Tragically, Poompavai dies from a snake bite and is cremated. Chettiar preserves her ashes, hoping for her revival by Thirugnanasambandar. When the Saint arrives and sings the Poompavai Pathigam, the girl miraculously resurrects. Chettiar offers her hand in marriage, but the Saint, considering himself her father after her rebirth, declines.

On Arupathumoovar day, this episode is reenacted with idols of Saint Thirugnanasambandar and Sivanesan Chettiar in processions, followed by elaborate rituals and offerings. The idol of Poompavai, too, is brought out and placed in a pandal. The event culminates with the odhuvar of Kapaleeshwarar temple reciting the Poompavai Pathigam, describing various temple festivals and lamenting Poompavai’s absence from them. Each verse ends with arathi to Thirugnanasambandar, and at the recital’s conclusion, Poompavai’s curtain is removed for a grand arathi. The trio then joins the procession of nayanmars, leading Lord Shiva’s procession, which starts around 3 p.m. and lasts several hours.

Conversations with a temple priest shed light on the traditional practices that continue to be part of the enactment of the Poompavai episode, largely unchanged over time. The abhishekam offerings for Sivanesan Chettiar, for instance, are provided by his community’s representatives, who operate from a mandapam located opposite the temple’s Eastern Gopuram. Before the Poompavai Pathigam is sung, the Thiruthondar Puranam is recited, detailing the events leading up to Thirugnanasambandar’s arrival in Mylapore. A cloth-covered pot filled with jaggery is placed, symbolizing the urn holding Poompavai’s ashes, as preserved by Sivanesan Chettiar. At the conclusion of the Poompavai Pathigam, this pot is opened, and the jaggery inside is distributed as prasadam to those present.

The article also highlights several unchanged traditions, like offerings for Sivanesan Chettiar’s abhishekam brought by community representatives and the distribution of jaggery prasadam, symbolizing Poompavai’s ashes. It marvels at the huge crowds, estimated at four to five lakh, and notes the stopping of vehicular traffic by 2 p.m. Various charitable activities, like serving water, buttermilk, paanakam, and organizing annadaanam, are detailed, with special mention of the longstanding Sivaganasambandar Thaneer Pandal and distribution of cow’s milk for children. The article concludes noting the extensive reach of these services, a tradition that continues to this day.

Details

सोम-प्रदोष-व्रतम्

  • 18:17→19:45

Pradosha Vratam. Fast during the day and perform śivapūjā in Pradosha Kala. Pradosha vratam is even more special, when if falls on a Monday, which is already a special day for śivārādhanam.

प्रदोषे शिवपूजां तु ये कुर्याच्छ्रद्धया युताः।
न भवेत् तस्य दारिद्र्यं जन्मान्तरशतेष्वपि॥
त्रयोदश्यां दिवा स्थित्वा निराहारो महेश्वर।
नक्तं भोक्ष्यामि देवेश त्राहि मां कृपया हर॥

Details

वेङ्कटाचले वसन्तोत्सव-प्रारम्भः

Vasantotsava is an annual festival conducted for three days (Trayodashi, Chaturdashi and Pournami in the month of Chaitra). During this period, Lord Sri Venkateshwara and His Consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi are taken out in a procession and brought to the Vasanta Mandapam for abhishekam. On the third day, idols of Sri Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Anjaneya and Sri Krishna (with Rukmini and Satyabhama) are brought to Vasanta Mandapam in procession.

Details