Saturday, August 10, 2019

The celebration of Karandhar Palayam sasthaa Preethi


The celebration   of  Karandhar  Palayam sasthaa Preethi

BY
Viswanathan Sundar

Translated by
P.R.Ramachander






(The original Tamizh write up can be seen in https://www.facebook.com/vu2rum/posts/558061387941943   )

Kallidai kurichi which is in THirunelveli district  of Tamil Nadu  on the shores of  Thamra barni river has  one more name “Karanthayar  Palayam”

The  Kula deivam(clan God) of all the people living in this town  is God “Sri sastha”
Not only this place   but to  many places to the south of Madurai like  Thirunelveli, Thoothukudi , Amba samudaram, Kallidai kurichi, Aamboor , azhvarkurichi, Renga samudram , Brahma desam , Adaichani  , Pallakkal , Ravana samudhram , Kadayam , Then Kasi  , Sengottai  , Kuththalam  , Surandai , Sundra  pandiyapuram , Kadaya nallor, Raja palayam , Sri Villiputhoor, Vathiraippu and to  many places near them, the kula deivam of people   would be mostly  “sri sastha”

   The God  could be  called  Sastha, ayyanaar  , Bhoothanadhar, Kalyana Varadhan, Harihara  Puthiran, and Muthayyan  and all these  names indicate The God Adhi Bhoothanadha   who  with his queens Poona and Pushkala is in Ponnambala medu.

  Most of the children of families who have  Sastha   as Kula deivam   are named  as Hariharan,  Bhothathaan  , Chadayappan , Kalyanam , aaryaa , Ayyappan, Mani Kandan,  Ayya mani, Kulathu mani  for males and Prabha, Poornaa  , Pushkalaa , Poornapushkala, Harini  , Haripriya, Rajeswari, Ponnamma    and ponni for girls. We can mostly identify   their native places  by their names.

    Once upon a time a Brahmin called Vijayan, who had  great devotion to Lord  Sastha   was  living in  Karanthayar  palayam. Lord Sastha   wanted to show  his liking to these  couple for their great devotion to him .So he came in search of them  in the form of a young boy. They took him inside   their home. That boy was wet because  he had walked in rain.  With a new towel  they dried  him. Then the boy  addressed the wife of Vijayan   and told, “Mother  , I am very hungry. This is mid night   and it is raining . Where shall I get  food at this time? If you give me some thing to eat   it would be great.”

  They Told her Boy,, “As of now we only have a  Gruel(kooz) made of Millet(kambu) .Can you take it and  slightly get satiated of your hunger?”

    The Boy ate that and requested them for a place to sleep for the night  and they cheerfully  provided  him a bed and pillow to  sleep.. Then the boy   showed his real form of Sastha    and told them. “The kamban koozh that   you gave me removed my hunger   and made me very happy. From today your family   would be known as  “Kambankudi(family of millets) “  and your family  people would be forever  my slaves.(I have read some where  Lord Sastha  said he will be forever their slave) .From today I would be Kula deivam to your family and wherever  you are  I would be your guardian”

   And the members of this family are made Sthanigar(President)  of the sastha  Preethi in the sastha Preethi conducted in Karanthayr  Palayam and are given a high seat and great recognition.

   Even today   elderly people of this  Kambangudi family   live in various places  ,Some of them are  Sri Krishna Iyer  , Sri veeramani iyer  and  Sri Ganapathi  iyer of Mumbai , Sri suresh Iyer of Bangalore , Sri appachi Krishna iyer of Dondhi vilakam street  of Kallidaikurichi( The first Sastha Preethi in Bangalore is conducted by this family)

  Chella Pilai  is supposed to be son of Dharma Sastha and his place is occupied by  the family of Chella Vilas Appalam Muthuswami iyer as well as  Chella Mani iyer .

 Even to day in  Sastha Preethi conducted   in Cochin, Ernakulam   And  Noorni, and   the people of Karandhayar palayam   family are honoured there.

  The  very famous  Sampradhaya Sastha Preethi   conducted by “Sri Maha Sasthrhru seva sangham “ of Coimbatore is   always conducted in The  Karanthar Palayam method  (sampradhayam)
Sastha Preethi is the  Hospitality shown  to the  devotees to Dharma Sastha who is the lord of the universe  . so that he gets pleased. .The first such Sastha Preethi was  conducted in Kallidai Kurichi town .As told earlier  this town is also called  Karanthayar Palayam.This has 18 agraharams  .These have been divided in to 8  Gramams.

They are
1.Vaidhyanatha puram 2. Thondhi Vilaakam 3  Ramachandra puram 4. Thennoor   5. Vahapuram  also called   as Veerappa puram. 6.Patta naayinaar puram  7.Mudhaliyappa puram   and 8.Ekambara  puram.

Each of these Gramas  are called Kizhikkar.  In the Dakshinayana , in the month of aadi  on  a Saturday The Satha Preethi is conducted  .Next day i. e on Sunday  ,they would complete the function by performing  “Soorya Narayana pooja.”

  This festival is Called  “Periya Adiyantharam” (great arrangement).The  village meeting   for arranging it would be held in Sastham Kottai.

 The  Holder of the Kizhi   for that year  have to conduct all the festivals for one year. This also includes Sankara  Jayanthi   “Sringeri acharya  Varadanthi day”

  All festivals are   celebrated by the monetary  interest got   for the trust    created for this purpose.. Normally devotees of Sastha   contribute the funds for this purpose.

     The previous day    to sastha Preethi  “ i.e.  on a Friday  after 6 Pm   from the village temple  of the concerned Kizhi  things like “Periya  Adi yanthiram”  (A bundle of palm leaf books) , The stick of Dharma Sastha, His elephant  vahana,  the chain of  Sangili Bhothathaar  “ the minister of Dharma  Sastha and Vattai vilakku(This lamp is worshipped during sastha  Preethi)   are brought by  the elders of the Kizhi village   and  for each of the people holding them, young people hold a coloured Umbrella.

     They come in a grand manner   accompanied by Nadaswaram music and  keep all of them in the temple  of Sastha. During that night a huge white ash gourd is given to the  person who is going to represent sastha   during that year and he would cut it in to two and give it to the cook, with a cry “Swamiye Saranam ayyappa”

   Then lots are taken before God as to who will serve what dish next day   during Anna Dhana from The Village Kizhikar. Next day i.e. on Saturday the sastha Preethi would be celebrated in the “Adhivaraha(Lakshmipathi)” temple   in Sannidhi street All functions would be carried out in the Southern hall  of the temple.

  The God would be decorated  in a pretty manner and The God   would be made  to  occupy (avahanam)  huge lamps.
 Ganapathi in one lamp, Guru in another lamp  and Maha Sastha along with poorna and Pushkalamba  in another lamp.
In a lamp facing south The  minister of Dharma sastha   called  Sri Bhoodathar   would be made to enter., A big stick and chain   would be kept before that lamp. And that lamp  would be decorated by a garland of  Vadai

Then they will offer  flower garland to Sastha followed  by worship with chanting of Sastha  Sahasranamam , Sri Rudra  Parayanam, Reading of all four Vedas  and so on.

Then they will put four seats, one for the  person who will represent Dharma Sastha, another  for son of Sastha   called Chella pillai   or Sri Sathyaka , Another  for the minister Bhothathar  and another for the   Subsidiary Gods of Sastha like Karupanna Sami and Yakshi

  These seats would be occupied from selected members of the  Kambangudi family.
Then the “Maha Meru Sastha”  written by  Sri Manidasar containing  Sastha  Preethi varavu songs would be sung   emotionally.

Then after  taking auspicious bath  , lord Sastha   would go. Two devotees holding a coloured Umbrella would support and guide him by giving support with their hand  and then  they would keep on singing Sastha   Varavu songs. Before him, one person would  accompany holding the Vattai lamp., Before the god his accompaniment Gods   like Sangii Bhothathaar, Kundanthadi bhothathaar, Karuppa Swami, Yakshi, Chella Pillai Sri Sathyakan etc  would keep on dancing and going ahead..Devotees would keep on offering them tender  coconut so that they do feel thirsty.

  When they reach   the western gate of Perumal temple, through a hole in the wall of one house The person representing Lord Sastha would see. And elders have told  us that he is seeing  Billawadi Sastha and Ariyankavu sastha through that hole. Then through  Melada  Veedhi   they will reach   The Chidambareswarar  temple and take bath  in the steps of” Kannadiyan Kalvai”.Then all of them would wear new cloths and through Vadakku Mada Veedhi enter Perumal temple. There they will all sit in the pooja mantapa and Deeparadhanai    would be shown to god,. The morning worship would come to an end there.

Afterwards  the leaf bundle would be given to person representing Sastha and  he would give it to the Kizhikkar of the village and he would commence the Annadhanam to all the guests.,This feast would continue for three hours. The feast would be held on the Prakaras  of the Perumal temple  .Normally four to five batches of people would take food.

Sastha Preethi Payasam

A huge  Aduppu(stone stove)   would be dug   and a huge vessel supported and carried by more than 10 people  would be kept on the Stove.. The Payasam would be prepared in that  .Since there is a belief that  Payasam should be prepared under the supervision of God, this would be prepared opposite to the Mantap whered decorated  God is kept
   Again on that day,  night worship,  would  be done like morning, God would be given an auspicious bath .Naivedhyam would be prepared and later there  would  be Deeparadhana
Next day ie Sunday They will chant Adhithya Hrudayam and Surya Namaskaram  On that day annadhanam would start at 10  AM,

In the evening there would be a meeting of the villagers. There they will choose  the  Grama Kizhi who will do next years Sastha Preethi.
  Along with  playing of musical instruments and Sarana Gosham of God, The periya adi Yanthiram, The Stick of God  , Elephant Vahanam , Saram, Vattai Dheepam would be given to the New Kizhi., They are supposed to take it and keep it safely till next years Sastha  Preethi

    That nighttThere would be special Garuda   Seva to adhi varaha perumal conducted  by Maha Meru Samooham.
   Nowadays   Sastha Preethi   is conducted in the Sastha temple called “Then kulathoor ayyan temple

     Very huge number of Devotees from various places come and join in this Sastha Preethi

Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa- I surrender to God Ayyappa
Then karanthapuri vaasane  Saranam ayyappa-I surrender to Ayyappa who lives in Then Karantha puri
Karanthayar palayarthuraivone  Saranam mAyyappa-I surrender to Ayyappa who lives in Karanthayar  Palayam

Karuna sagara  Kadalone  Saranam Ayyappa-I surrender to Ayyappa who is ocean of mercy
Then kulathooril ayyane  saranam ayyappa_I surrender to Ayyappa who is lord of South Kulathoor
Kambamkudikkudaya   udamaye  Saranam Ayyappa_I surrender to Ayyappa who is property of Kamban gudi
Un Ponnadikku   adimaye   Saranam Ayyappa-I surrender to ayyappa to his golden feet
Samiye  Saranam Ayyappa- I surrender to God ayyappa