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Aadi Pooram - 2019
Posted on: 22/Jul/2019 10:14:48 AM
Aadi Pooram - is a festival celebrated by the Hindus, especially, the Vaishnavites those who worship Lord Vishnu! Just like the English calendar, the Tamil calendar also has 12 months - one of them is named ‘Aadi’ - considered to be a holy and sacred month. And there are 27 stars as per the Hindu Almanac - The day on which the star ‘Pooram’ occurs is the day called ‘Aadi Pooram’.
This has a special significance. There are 12 great Vaishnavites saints known famously as ‘Alwars’ and one among the Alwars was ‘Andal’. She is supposed to be the incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi and was born and brought up by another Alwar, known as ‘Periyazhwar’. Andal was born on the day of Aadi Pooram which is celebrated by the Hindus. It is also known as ‘Andal Jayanthi’.
This year 2019, Aadi Pooram falls on Saturday, 3rd August!
Another significant pint is that this year, Aadi Pooram and Aadi Perukku falls on the same day.
The festival
Thus, Aadi Pooram is the celebration of the birth day of Andal and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervour in the places all over the world with the Tamil population.
The day of Aadi Pooram is also observed as the day of Goddess Shakti as it is believed that the Goddess herself comes to Earth in this auspicious day, to bless Her devotees. The devotees, therefore, worship their deity with full dedication to lead a happy and prosperous life.
‘Aadi’ is the fourth month in the Tamil calendar while ‘Pooram’ denotes one of the 27 Nakshatras (stars) mentioned in the Hindu Astrology. The story of Goddess Andal is known all through the state of Tamil Nadu and her devotion to Sri Ranganatha (a form of Lord Vishnu) is widespread in the whole of southern India.
Celebrations of different kinds on the same day
The celebrations of Aadi Pooram are very splendid in almost all the Lord Vishnu temples located in Tamil Nadu. The day also holds immense significance in Goddess Shakti temples scattered all over the country. In the Saiva temples, the day of Aadi Pooram is observed as the festival of ‘Valaikappu’. In the event, glass bangles are offered to Goddess Andal and then distributed among all devotees. It is believed that by wearing these bangles, the couples will be blessed with offspring and also when pregnant women wear these bangles; it shields their child from all the evil forces.
Rituals
Aadi Pooram is a 10-day festival observed with great pomp and show in all Lord Vishnu temples in the state of Tamil Nadu. Of these, the last day (10th day) is observed as ‘Aadi Pooram’ and a grand marriage ceremony of Goddess Andal and Sri Ranganathaswamy is conducted. This event is also known as ‘Thirukalyanam’.
On the day of Aadi Pooram, the women of the household get up early and start making the preparations. They decorate their house beautifully with kolam or rangoli. Goddess Andal is fond of the lotus flower, red colour and kalkandu rice. The women of the household make an elaborate meal for offering to the Goddess.
In the temples, Goddess Andal is adorned with a silk sari, glittering pieces of jewellery and garlands. An elaborate feast is offered to the Goddess that is contributed by every household in the community. As the festival of Aadi Pooram celebrated the marriage of God and Goddess, thousands of devotees visit the temples to witness this ceremony.
Special rituals are performed on this day that is accompanied by playing traditional music. The celebrations continue till late at night and then after the ‘aarti’, the food is distributed among the devotees.
On this auspicious day, the devotees also read the ‘Thiruppavai’ and ‘Lalitha Sahasranamam’.
Important Timings On Aadi Pooram
- Sunrise - August 03, 2019 6:01 AM
- Sunset - August 03, 2019 7:04 PM
- Pooram Nakshathram Begins - August 03, 2019 6:44 AM
- Pooram Nakshathram Ends - August 04, 2019 4:05 AM
