Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple (Dharbaranyeswarar Temple), Karaikal – Festivals

Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple (Dharbaranyeswarar Temple), Karaikal – Festivals

Apart from daily worship services which are performed five times daily, Dharbaranyeswarar Temple hosts many festivals throughout the year. On Tamil New Year’s Day (Tamil Puthandu), (marked by the transition of the Sun from Pisces to Aries according to the Indian astrological system) Thyagaraja is taken in a procession. The 18 day Brahmmotsavam beginning on the Uthiratadhi star day in the Tamil month Vaikasi (May-June) is an important festival. On the last day, there will be a program known as the Lord gracing a darshan to a shepherd.

Festivals related to Nataraja (the Lord of Dance) are held during the month of Aani (Gemini). Several special services are performed to the Emerald Lingam on the full moon night in the month of Purattasi (Leo). Shivarathri festival for Chandrasekharar and Ambal in February March, Each Friday, Pradosha days (13th day either from new moon or full moon day) are very devotionally observed. The Tamil and English new year days, Navarathri, Karthika Deepa, Deepavali, Panguni Uthiram and Pongal are the days when special pujas are performed in the temple.

The great event in the temple is the Saturn Transit day festival. Saturn transit means his travel from one Rasi to the next in the Zodiac circle. The transit will be favourable to some and unfavorable to others depending on the position of Saturn in their respective horoscopes and the effects would be in accordance with this fact. The crowd naturally would be unmanageable on such an occasion. People throng in thousands to worship Sani Baghwan on this day.