Nagarathar Kavadi

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Nagarathar Kavadi" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Needs linked in to WP. Please help improve this article if you can. (January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Nagarathar Kavadi is a special pilgrimage of its type, where

. There are two different groups of Nagarathar kavadi that would travel towards Pazhani and be joined a few kilometres before Pazhani. They are named Melavattagai Kavadi and Keelvattagai Kavadi.

Starting place

People from across Chettinad towns in Sivaganga and Pudukottai district start from their respective towns and reach Kundrakudi on the 8th day night before Thaipoosam. Once the kavadi from across the towns are gathered in Kundrakudi, next morning all the kavadi will start with Vel leading all the kavadis and pachai kavadi at the end.

Basic rules

In early days the information is unclear. Based on the written pattayam, a person should bathe before lifting and placing the kavadi on his shoulder. Once he started walking with kavadi on his shoulder he should not drink water or urinate. If he needs to do that, he needs to bathe again before having the kavadi placed on his shoulder. The person carrying the kavadi should wear a white dhoti, and he should stay in the same dhoti until the kavadi is offered to Lord Murugan in Pazhani.

Guides

Throughout the yathra, all the kavadi will be guided by Aranmanai Pongal Ayya and Samiyadi Ayya. This history dates back to past years, where Aranmanai Pongal Ayya will prepare and serve food for all persons walking with kavadi and later will do all poojas to kavadi. Melavattagai Kavadi will be guided by Nerkuppai Ayya.

Kavadi Pooja

Throughout the journey, until the kavadis are offered to Lord Murugan in Pazhani, pooja will be done to kavadi. It is believed that Lord Murugan/Pazhani Andavan is in each and every kavadi. The pooja happens in these places after starting from Kundrakudi.

1. First day night - Maruthipatti
2. Second day night - Samudrapatti
3. Third day night - Idaichi Madam
4. Fourth day night - Semmadapatti
5. Fifth day night - Kalingappayya OOrani
6. Sixth day - First pooja in Annadhana Madam
7. Seventh day - Second Pooja in Annadhana Madam and Thaipoosam
8. Eighth day - Third Pooja in Annadhana Madam
9. Ninth day - Fourth day Pooja in Annadhana Madam and kavadi offering to Lord Murugan in the Hill Temple, Pazhani
10. Tenth day - Fifth day pooja in Annadhana Madam
11. Eleventh day - Sixth day aduppadi pooja in Annadhana Madam
12. Twelfth day - Sandhana Abhishekam and kavadi will start returning to native home town.

References

External links

• Nagarathar Kavadi
• Lectoro.com: Nagarathar Kavadi
• Palani.Nagarathar.com
• Nagarathar.Gateway.com