On a normal day, they congregate at Kapaleeshwarar temple after school to chat with friends and play games. During Panguni Thiruvizha, they gather at the temple to help in the preparations for the spectacular event.
Rahul, Lakshmanan, Mayooranadan and Rekha, who live near the temple and study in different schools, have forged a partnership by supporting temple authorities put together the festival.
It was astonishing to see how much these children were willing to do: they carried heavy banana trees on their tender shoulders to put them up at the entrance and dragged hefty carts across the temple to the designated spot. Putting up the mango leave torans and cleaning up the chariots were the lighter jobs they carried out during the ten-day festival. Not once did they wince about taking orders from elders, who oversaw their work.
While most came after attending school, some bunked classes to be of use to the temple. And they seem to have the support of their parents.
“I am on leave for a few days for helping out with Panguni festival preparations. I have been part of the organising team since the age of eight. The only condition my parents placed on me is that I come home early in the evening,” says 12-year-old Ajit, who lives near Light House.
Holding on to a huge umbrella to be used for one of the deities during the fest, Lakshmanan tells me the rewards they get for the helping they offer.
“On the main days of the festival, we are the centre of action. We carry the umbrellas, hold the fire torches and even ride the chariots on which gods are taken in a procession around the temple. We get to enjoy the festival from close proximity.”
With some of their friends missing from action on the day, the others keep pouring out names and ask me not to miss anyone. With lunchtime approaching, they want to rush to the hall where annadanam is served. “We will first serve others and then eat ourselves,” says Rahul, a student of Sri Sivaswami Kalalaya Senior Secondary School, who has been participating in the festival for the past five years.
That the festival is a community affair is quite evident from the people involved in its preparation. Most come from the neighbouring areas and having been helping out as kids.
“This is our playground and our workshop too. We will contribute during Panguni Thiruvizha even as grown-ups,” adds Rahul, as he gets ready to join his friends for the sumptuous food.
