Pushpa Vahanam of Karur Mariamman Temple Festival (Karur - Tamil Nadu) | My Travelogue - Indian Travel Blogger, Heritage enthusiast & UNESCO hunter!

KARUR MARIAMMAN KOVIL VAIKASI UTSAVAM - PALLAKKU VEETHI ULA

Karur, as I have said in my previous posts also, is a small town in the centre of Tamil Nadu well connected with several places. Its also a hub of heritage and nature with a the village feel still lingering on, in the suburbs. (Yeah, the central town of Karur is more concrete than Chennai suburbs!!!).

TEMPLES OF KARUR

Some important temples in Karur are Pasupathiswarar Temple, Abhayapradha Ranganathar Temple, Kalyana Venkatramanar Temple, and Mariamman Temple. Also temples in Erode, Trichy also are easily reachable from Karur. Of these, Mariamman Temple is the only one that I haven't visited so far.

Pushpa Vahanam Karur Mariamman Temple Festival

KARUR MARIAMMAN TEMPLE FESTIVAL - VAIKASI UTSAVAM

The best time to visit Karur Mariamman temple is during end of May, when the week-long, annual temple festival called Vaikasi Utsavam happens. Somehow, every year for the past couple of years, I plan to visit Karur during Karur Mariamman temple festival, but somehow I get scheduled with something else and miss it.

The specialty prayers start much earlier and are held a month long which are at their best during the last 5 days when the celebration is at its peak and literally Karur comes to stand still when no offices or shops work.

The month long auspiciousness start with planting the sacred log in front of the temple called Kambu Naduthal. This Kambu is immersed in River Amaravathy at the end of the month long celebration.

PUSHPA VAHANAM - KARUR MARIAMMAN TEMPLE FESTIVAL

During this month several festivities occur. This includes, a day of procession of Temple Car or Ratham. A day of Pushpa Vahanam when various tableau of floral arrangement are made by different groups of people taken from their street to the temple. A day of Oonjal or Swing. And it was during the Pushpa Vahanam Day, that I once happened to be in Karur and witnessed it luckily by chance as well... Each year, the decor is different and this year, this one was shaped like a huge 7 headed snake, made completely of flowers. And its generally carried to the temple with all pomp and fanfare...

Yeah this happened at about 8 pm and that should explain the bad lighting. But the way they were beating the drums and dancing was absolutely fabulous and they were in trance totally.

Hopefully next year atleast I wish I go there for the 5 day main celebration. Lets see!!!