Special ‘yagam’ performed for rain

Priests performing a ritual at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai on Monday. Photo: R. Ashok

Invoking the god of rains a special puja (‘Varuna Jeba Yagam) was performed at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in the early hours of Monday.

A special abishekam was performed on Nandi statue at the Veeravasantharayar Mandapam. Verses were recited from the Thirumurai of Sundaramoorthy Nayanar by the temple priests and a nagaswaram troupe performed music in Amrithavarshini, Meghavarshini, Anandha Bhairavi and Roopa Kalyani ‘raagams’ which are believed to bring rain. Devotees and visitors at the temple also took part in the proceedings.

Speaking about the Yagam, P. Jayaraman, Executive Officer of the temple and Joint Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) department said owing to drought-like situation across Tamil Nadu, special pujas were being performed at all temples under the HR and CE control in the State.

Special pujas were also performed at the various sub-shrines of the Meenakshi temple. This included Thiruvapudaiyar Temple at Sellur and Thirumarainathar Swamy Temple at Tiruvadavur. A special milk and coconut water abishekam was performed at Mariamman temple at Teppakulam.

Tirunelveli

Tirunelveli district is witnessing monsoon failure for the fifth successive year. Poor storage level in dams has forced officials to release meagre quantity of water from reservoirs to meet drinking water purpose. Subsequently, the small quantity of water being pumped from the infiltration wells is being distributed to residents on turn basis.

The problems of cattle is even worse as there is virtually no grass in the district. In the ‘varuna jabam’ (prayers for abundant rains) offered at Sri Nellaiyappar Gandhimathi Ambal Temple here, the ‘pradhosha nandhi’ was kept in neck-deep water to appease rain gods and special abhishekam was performed with water drawn from the Tamiraparani even as violinists from the government music school rendered songs based on certain ragas.

Similar prayers were conducted in Sri Kutralanatha Swamy Temple, Courtallam, Sri Papanasa Swamy Temple, Papanasam, Sri Sankaranaraya Swamy Temple, Sankarankovil, Sri Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Tenkasi, and Sri Kumarar Temple, Ilanji.