Dancing with Siva
Mandala 20: Festivals
Utsava
Festivals
Praise our Lord in devotion congregational. Sing His praise within, and His feet adore. Dance within and know Him. Then He yearns after you, like the cow after its calf.
Tirumantiram 2109. tm
What Are the Festival Days of Saivism?
SLOKA 96
Festivals are special times of communion with God and Gods, of family and community sharing and sadhana. Saivites observe numerous festivals in the temple and the home, and special holy days each week and month. Aum.
Lord Siva's radiates imbues three popular Saiva festivals: upper left, a devotee carries kavadi at Skanda Shashti as Murugan's peacock and rooster look on; another observes all-night Sivaratri vigil; a third breaks coconuts during Ganesha Chaturthi.
BHASHYA
Monday is the Hindu holy day in the North of India, and Friday in the South, set aside each week for attending the temple, cleaning and decorating the home shrine, devout prayer, japa and scriptural study. These are not days of rest, for we carry on our usual work. Among the major Deity festivals are Mahashivaratri, Vaikasi Vishakham, Ganesha Chaturthi, Skanda Shashthi, Krittika Dipam, Vinayaka Vratam, Ardra Darshanam and Tai Pusam. Temples also hold a ten-day annual festival called Brahmotsava, often on the Uttaraphalguni nakshatra in March-April, as well as honor the anniversary day of their founding. Festivals are auspicious and sacred days of family and community togetherness, and of sadhana, fasting, meditation, worship and retreat from worldly concerns. Saivites offer special prayers to Siva, Ganesha and Karttikeya on propitious days each month according to the Hindu sacred calendar. The Vedas proclaim, "Behold now a man who unwinds and sets the thread, a man who unwinds it right up to the vault of heaven. Here are the pegs; they are fastened to the place of worship. The Sama Veda hymns are used for weaving shuttles." Aum Namah Sivaya.
What Are the Primary Festivals to Siva?
SLOKA 97
Mahashivaratri, Siva's great night, venerates Parashiva. Krittika Dipam celebrates the infinite light of Parashakti. Ardra Darshanam invokes the blessings of Parameshvara-- Lord Siva Nataraja in His blissful Cosmic Dance. Aum.
During Sivaratri, a devotee grows doubtful if he can keep his vow not to sleep or eat on this holy night. A friend offers encouragement, pointing to the Sivalinga and reminding that Siva lives in the heart, where all strength to endure can be found.
BHASHYA
Mahashivaratri is the night before the new-moon day in February-March. We observe it both as a discipline and a festivity, keeping a strict fast and all-night vigil, meditating, intoning Siva's 1,008 names, singing His praise, chanting Sri Rudram, bathing the Sivalinga and being near the vairagis as they strive to realize Parashiva. On Krittika Dipam, the Krittika nakshatra in November-December, we honor--with oil lamps everywhere, village bonfires and special temple arati--God Siva as an infinite pillar of light. This is an important festival in Murugan temples. On Ardra Darshanam, during the Ardra nakshatra of December-January, Lord Nataraja receives elaborate abhisheka and is beseeched for yogic union, prosperity and matrimonial success. He is again lavishly invoked on the Uttaraphalguni nakshatra in June-July and on four other days each year. Special monthly days for Siva worship are the two 13th tithis, called pradosha. The Vedas proclaim, "The Lord, God, all-pervading and omnipresent, dwells in the heart of all beings. Full of grace, He ultimately gives liberation to all creatures by turning their faces toward Himself." Aum Namah Sivaya.
What Are the Major Ganesha Festivals?
SLOKA 98
Ganesha Chaturthi is a joyous celebration of Ganesha's birthday. Vinayaka Vratam is twenty-one days of fasting and daily temple worship. Pancha Ganapati is a five-day family festival of harmony and gift-giving. Aum.
While Ganesha worships His father as the Sivalinga, an elephant offers homage to Lord Ganesha, plucking and offering lotuses from the jungle pool. The elephant-faced Deity is Hinduism's most popular God, worshiped by all denominations equally.
BHASHYA
On Ganesha Chaturthi, in August-September, elaborate temple pujas are held. Worship is also given in the home shrine to a clay image of Ganesha that we make or obtain. At the end of the day, or after ten days, we join others in a grand parade, called visarjana, to a river, temple tank, lake or seashore, where we immerse the image, symbolizing Ganesha's release into universal consciousness. During the twenty-one days of Vinayaka Vratam, in November-December, devotees vow to attend daily Ganesha puja, fasting on water and taking a full meal after sunset. Pancha Ganapati, December 21 to 25, is a modern five-day festival of gift-giving, dear to children. Families invoke His five shaktis, one on each day--creating harmony in the home, concord among relatives, neighbors and friends, good business and public relations, cultural upliftment and heartfelt charity. Ganesha's monthly holy day is Chaturthi, the fourth tithi after the new moon. The Vedas implore, "O Lord of Categories, thou art the Lord, the seer of seers, unrivaled in wealth, king of elders, lord of the principle of principles. Hear us and take thy place, bringing with thee all enjoyments." Aum Namah Sivaya.
What Are the Main Karttikeya Festivals?
SLOKA 99
Vaikasi Vishakham celebrates the anniversary of Lord Karttikeya's creation. Skanda Shashthi is a six-day festival honoring His conquest of light over darkness. Tai Pusam is a time of sadhana and public penance. Aum.
Lord Skanda, vel in hand, is surrounded by His festivals. From upper left: Vaikasi Vishakham is a time of gift-giving; at Tai Pusam a woman holds pots of fire and a man does kavadi penance; Skanda Shashthi honors the victory of light over darkness.
BHASHYA
On Vaikasi Vishakham day, Lord Karttikeya's birthstar, Vishakha nakshatra, in May-June, elaborate abhisheka is conducted in all His temples. It is a time of gift-giving to panditas and great souls, weddings, feedings for the poor, caring for trees, spiritual initiation, diksha, and conclaves of holy men. Skanda Shashthi is celebrated on the six days after the new moon in October-November with festive processions and pujas invoking His protection and grace. It honors Karttikeya's receiving the vel, His lance of spiritual illumination, jnana shakti, and culminates in a dramatic victory celebration of spiritual light over asuric darkness. Tai Pusam occurs on Pushya nakshatra in January-February. During this festival we fast and perform public penance, called kavadi, seeking Karttikeya's blessings to dispel our selfishness, pride and vanity. His special monthly days are Krittika nakshatra and Shashthi, the sixth tithi after the new moon. The Vedas say, "Like the cry of watchful birds swimming in water, like the loud claps of thundering rain clouds, like the joyful streams gushing from the mountain, so have our hymns sounded forth to the Lord." Aum Namah Sivaya.
What Are Other Important Festivals?
SLOKA 100
Besides the temple festivals, there is a multitude of home, community and national celebrations, notably Dipavali, Hindu New Year, Tai Pongal, guru puja days, kumbha melas, Jayanti and Guru Purnima. Aum Namah Sivaya.
A pavilion has been erected for a village festival, festooned with flowers and bedecked with kolam designs. Suddenly Siva appears on the dais. Devotees quickly gather to receive Him, one with a fly whisk, others with trays of cloth and coconuts.
BHASHYA
Dipavali, the "festival of lights" in October-November, is a most popular festival, esteemed as a day of Hindu solidarity, when all sects gather in love and trust. It begins the financial year and is celebrated by opening new accounts, giving greeting cards, clothing and other gifts and by lighting rows of oil lamps. Family bonds are strengthened and forgivenesses sought. The several Hindu New Years are important observations. Tai Pongal, in January-February, is a harvest thanksgiving and invocation for prosperity. God Surya, the Sun, is honored, and daughters are presented with gifts. We venerate saints and sages by conducting guru puja on the anniversary of their passing, or mahasamadhi. We celebrate our satguru's birthday, or jayanti, with special puja to his shri paduka, "sandals," or holy feet. We honor him again on Guru Purnima, the full moon of July. Kumbha melas, humanity's largest gatherings, are held at four pilgrimage centers in India every three years. The Vedas proclaim, "Thus have we now approached the All-Knower, the one who is the best procurer of good things. Endow us, O Majesty, with strength and glory." Aum Namah Sivaya.
Verses from Scripture on Festivals
Supported by whose protection Heaven and Earth, shining brightly and inspired in their spirit, manifest this glory, with whose effulgence does the risen sun shine forth? To whom else, besides that giver of happiness, can we offer all our devotion?
Rig Veda 10.121.6. RVP, 4615
Let us now invoke for our aid the Lord of Speech, the Designer of all things that are, the inspirer of wisdom! May He, the ever-kindly, be well disposed to our summons, and may He, whose work is goodness, grant us His blessing!
Rig Veda 10.81.7. VE, 808
The gift of wealth and victory in deeds, sweetest of garlands, honor and fame, too, love and esteem are His bounties -- so even devas adore the elephant-faced One, in devotion sweet with cooped hands.
Tirumurai 11 (Kapiladeva). AG, 159
Wherever I hear the sound of drums, the music of hymns, the Vedas chanted, there my heart remembers God our Master, the Lord who dwells in Itaimarutu.
Tirumurai 5.129.1. PS, 180
The Lord of Citticcaram shrine in Naraiyur, who has the river in His hair, the poison stain on His throat and the Veda on His tongue, goes resplendent in ceremonial dress as His devotees and perfected sages sing and dance His widespread fame, and the sound of festival drums beaten on the streets, where the temple car is pulled, spreads on every side.
Tirumurai 1.71.5. PS, 183
Pumpavai, O beautiful girl! Would you go without having seen, on the streets of great Mayilai, always busy with festive crowds, the festival of Uttaraphalguni with its great sound of celebration, at which beautiful women sing and distribute alms, at the Lord's Kapaliccaram shrine, center of many festivals?
Tirumurai 2.183.7. PS, 188
You took for your shrine the good temple at Itaimarutu where, for the blessing of the world, scholars praise you with the Vedic chant, and great seers and Gods gather to bathe on the day of the Pusam festival in the month of Tai.
Tirumurai 2.192.5. PS, 183
Folk from far and near, good men and rogues and those who pray every day for an end to disease -- our Lord of Arur is kinsman to all those who cry, "O my jewel, golden one, dear husband! My son!" Such is the splendor of Ardra day in Arur town!
Tirumurai 4.21.2. PS, 184
As the blare of the moon-white conch, the parai drum's beat and the jingle of the cymbals of dancing devotees spread everywhere, peacocks, thinking that the rains have come, dance in delight. Such is the splendor of Ardra day in Arur town!
Tirumurai 4.21.5. PS, 185
Hail! Shankara, Dispenser of Bliss! Hail! The oldest in Sivaloka! Hail! Our youngest youth appearing to extricate us from affliction! Hail! Matchless One! Hail! The Lord of devas! Hail!
Tirumurai 8. TT, 151
By drinking the water after washing the holy feet of the guru and sprinkling the remains on the head, man attains the fruit of bathing in all the sacred waters of all sacred rivers and of all pilgrimages.
Guru Gita 29. GG, 10
I'll wreathe Him in garland. I'll hug Him to heart. I'll sing Him His name and dance with gifts of flowers. Singing and dancing, seek the Lord. This alone I know.
Tirumantiram 50. TM
The golden emblems of Siva and the smear of holy ashes are apt insignia of the Saiva path. This path of jnana is San Marga, which no evil can obstruct. It is the beloved way of Shuddha Saivam. The blemishless jnani is king of the entire realm of wisdom. He is the sun whose beams illumine the massive lore of Vedanta-Siddhanta. He remains immortal, ever devoted to the Shuddha Saiva way.
Tirumantiram 1427-1428. TMR, 221
Why think and suffer further for the insubstantial body, that is transient as a dew drop on a blade of grass? While on this Earth, extol with love the holy feet of Him who has six faces.
Natchintanai, "Give Praise..." NT, 199