Aayilya Maholsavam

    Sree Vasuki is rendered a kingly status among the Naga Deities in the great scriptures of India.
This temple, dedicated to him, celebrates its annual festival on the day of Aayilyam of the month of Kanny with all its austerity. It is considered to be the great birthday of Sree Nagaraja. On the days of Punartham, Pooyam and Aayilyam of Kanny the temples celebrations are for Sree Mahaganapathy, the Navagrahas and the Naga respectively for the good of all.
The offerings given to Sree Nagaraja on the day of Ayilyam are of great significance. The unique nature of the temple is that it prepares the Nivedya commonly, i.e., no preparation done individually. The offerings like rice, palm-jaggery, coconut, fruits, milk etc brought by each devotee will be collected and the nivedya is prepared wholesome in big vessels. It is carried out by the Brahmin priests and offerred to the Lord with all its heartfelt devotion. This is an explicit attitude of the temple towards its devotees. It is beyond all castes, creed, colour and religion or in other words secular in its truest sense.

 

Sarpabali

 

   The most sacred and the greatest of the Poojas for the Naga deities is the Sarpabali. It is performed only by the thanthrees of high penance. On the day of Aayilyam a kalam as it is called (holy columns) is made before the Lord and worship with rice and coconut. Everything is placed in the middle together with the Darbha Koorcham and worshipped in dedication to Sri Chandeswara. The pooja is carried out after the 'Athazha pooja' supposed to be the pooja of supper.

   It is actually the feeding of the Ashtanagas like Anantha, Vasuki and thousands of other subordinate nagas like Irvaran, Agajapan, Sithiprishtan, Shikhan, Adisikhan etc after inviting them by the conventional ways of worship. It surely provides blessings of the easily propetiable Sree Nagaraja of Nagaramma and of Ashtaiswarya varadayini Nagakanya. This all get rid of the ill-effects of Sarpadosha, Sarpasapa, Vishabheethi which were prevailing for generations. They will be replaced by Sarpapreethi, Mangalya bhagya, Santhanalabdhi and progress of the family. Sarpabali is sanctified most as it is carried out in the late silent minutes of the night.

 

Kalamezhuthu and Sarpampattu(Sarpotsavakriya)

 

   Kerala the state in the holy land of India created as it is believed, by the Lord Sree Parasuraman. In order to make the land suited for human dwelling Sree Parasurama propitiated the great Naga Vasuki by severe penance. But the person deputed to Naga Pooja showed default in the regular worship and Naga got angry as a result. The Person could not live in his dhama and was afraid of the consequences due to the work, from the part of the Naga. But the devotee of Lord Mahavishnu Sree Narada pacified the Nagas by his lustrous playing upon the veena. Then with the instructon to keep the Nagas always happy he made the Pulluvan from the dharbha (supposed to be a type of plant of the grass family used for holy rites). The Pooja performed by this pulluvas is the Kalamezhthu and Sarpampattu

   As the initial step the pulluvas make a colourful and hence the beautiful Nagakalam. On that Pooja for Lord Ganapathy and Sreelekshmi together with Noorumpalum are offered. Then boys and girls who undergo strict penance by the names of Nagaraja, Nagaramma and Nagakanya are placed symbolically. After that the holy songs praising the Naga deities are sung by the Pulluvas so as to get the blessings. As the songs attain the climax of their devotion the said boys and girls start doing the Naganrutha (dance as if they were Nagas). The ritual ends when they distort the Nagakalam using the inflorescence of the arecanut palm and bless the devotees.

 

Noorum Paalum Aayilya pooja

 

   This is so graceful a worship to get rid of the ill-effects on Sarpakopa or Sarpahimsa (wrath of the serpent or violence towards the serpent). On the day of Ayilyam - the holy birthstar of the Naga God, this is carried out. Holy Columns of Varied colours (Panchavarna)  are made before the deity and the super entities like the Ashtagraha and the Kshethramoorthy are worshipped in order to invite the Ashtanagas. It will be surely by the powerful chanting of mantras. Then they are fed and thereby made happy.

   After feeding the Nagas, the person who had sponsored the holy act would be given prime importance in the further process of worship. Then the vessel used to feed the Nagas (Uruly) would be placed upside down and a vick of ghee is lighted on its surface. Moreover in the said columns seventeen vicks and an equal number of torches are lighted in congruence to the conventional faith upon the Naga Gods. This is actually for the family progress and for the benefit of good children and thus for the fulfilment of the desires of the sponsor. This fully devotional worship is done in accompanyment with the beautiful playing of those instruments liked by the Nagas. Decoration with different flowers and archana with the same are also parts of this worship. By all these the devotee gets the blessings of the Nagas and thus all the prospirity therefrom. Besides, special worship for the Mahaganapathy the deity in addition to the Naga, Navagrahas etc are carried out with all their touch of dedication

 
 
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