While Navarathiri festival, celebrated in Tamil month of ‘Purattasi' is for Goddess Periyanayagi in the Big Temple, Ashada Navarathiri celebrated in the Tamil Month of ‘Aani' is for Varahi Amman at the entrance of the temple.
Various alankarams will be done to Varahi Amman in this ‘Ashada Navarathiri' festival, which begins on June 30 and ends on July 10. Beginning with an alankaram using sweets on Thursday, Varahi will be ornamented with turmeric on Friday, ‘kumkum' on Saturday, pomegranate grains on Tuesday, ‘navadhanyam' on Wednesday, butter on Thursday, fruits on Friday, vegetables on Saturday and flowers on Sunday, July 10.
The palace devasthanam is organising a golu of various alankarams of Varahi. For Ten amman dolls along with a Vinayagar doll will be displayed during the festival. “This is for the first time we are doing this,” organisers said. Besides having darshan of Varahi in various alankarams, people can enjoy this golu , they said.
Cultural programmes are also arranged during the festival. They will be held at 6 p.m. every day. The programmes include bharathanatyam by V.Umamaheswsari and party on Thursday, Jule 30, nathalaya sangamam (25 nadaswaram with 25 tavils) by Kanchi Kamakoti Asthana Vidwan Durai Senthilkumar, on Friday, Clarinet by A.K.C.Nadarajan on Saturday, vocal by O.S.Thyagarajan on Sunday, vocal by Sirkali Sivachidambaram on Monday, key board by Ram on Tuesday, veena by G.Ramadoss on Wednesday, bharathanatyam by Archana Narayanamoorthy and party on Thursday, saxaphone by Khadri Gopalnath on Friday, bhakthi songs by K.Vedhaiyan and party on Saturday and vocal by Mahathi on Sunday.
