Myths relived through rituals on Shivaratri

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  A priest performs mayana pooja at the cemetery of Sokkampudur in Coimbatore on Sunday | S Kamalakannan

It is more than just a ritual for more than 200 devotees from different communities of Sokkampudur to come together at the cemetery to perform mayana pooja on the night of Shivaratri. For them it is a night of devotion which brings prosperity not just to the family but to the entire community and the region. The mayana pooja is performed at every Angalamman temple in Tamil Nadu on Shivaratri day to please the Goddess. The event is for the remembrance of the brahmahatty state of Lord Shiva after he was cursed by lord Brahma.

“Lord Shiva cut off the head of Brahma for which he was cursed with agorapasi (unending appetite). In order to feed him Devi went to the village and collected food for him. Lord Shiva got rid of the curse only after the head of Brahma went out of his hand,” says Balraj, dharmakartha of Sokkakudumpam, which continues to observe the ritual even after 120 years. “We are proud to perform the pooja. All the people from nearby areas come here to seek blessings and to participate in rituals. They serve broad beans and sweet potato to the god and eat those as prasada. Once the poojas are over the idol of the goddess is taken to the nearby Angalamman temple for further pooja,” says Gowri, a senior member of Sokkakudumpam. The ritual is not confined to the Sokka family, which has more than 300 members.

“At the temple we have poomethikkal (fire walking ritual) after which we leave for the Noyyal river to fill the kumbham. The pooja ends with the deeparadhana once the kumbham reaches the temple,” says Dinesh.

The head priest broke the idol made of clay, as he was believed to be possessed by god. He had a bone in his mouth and carried two skulls in his hand.

The event was colourful with the red costumes, flowers and a well decorated idol of Mahaniamman, an avatar of the goddess.

Similar rituals are said to be performed at Sundakkamuthur, Thadakam road, Sulur and Melmalayanur.

source : newindianexpress