Thaipusam Festivals, worship
Thaipusam Festivals, worship, and celebrations are a way of life and a living tradition of the Tamil people.
Thaipusam is a festival that is uniquely Tamil.
It is celebrated on the day in the Tamil month of Thai when the full moon (Pournami) coincides with the Poosam star. This day is especially sacred to Lord Shiva and Lord Murugan. Appar and Thirugnana Sambandar have sung about the festival of Thaipusam with great reverence in their hymns.
In many historical inscriptions as well, the celebration of Thaipusam is recorded as having been observed with great grandeur. Though it is an auspicious day for Shiva, Thaipusam is celebrated in particular as a special day for Murugan. All Murugan temples in Tamil Nadu take on a festive appearance.
Pilgrimages on foot by devotees, milk kavadi, dance, music, and special forms of worship fill the day with vibrant energy. Wherever Tamils live—Tamil Nadu, Tamil Eelam, Malaysia, Singapore—Thaipusam is celebrated. Truly, this day has become a sweet and joyous festival for the Tamil God.
But why do we call Murugan alone the Tamil God?
Although Murugan worship spread throughout India, the foundation of Murugan worship lies in Tamil Nadu. The Saluvankuppam Murugan Temple stands as an archaeological testimony to a shrine where, as described in Silappathikaram, only the Vel (spear) known as Verkottam is enshrined in the sanctum.
It is a unique temple found only in Tamil Nadu, distinguished as a Sangam-era spear and a Sangam-era temple. Murugan’s six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu) are found only in Tamil Nadu. All the forms of Murugan described in the Agamas exist only in temples of Tamil Nadu.
The sculptural form of Murugan described in Sangam literature, as the Kurinji-land king seated upon an elephant, exists only in Tamil Nadu. The form in which youthful Murugan resides together with Ammai and Appa (Parvathi and Shiva) is found only in Tamil Nadu. The form of Murugan as the bearer of divine wisdom and power, holding the Shakti weapon received from his mother and the Vajra weapon received from Indra, exists only in Tamil Nadu.
The sculptural form of Murugan as Brahma Sastha or Dharma Sastha, teaching the Pranava mantra to Brahma and appearing with Brahma’s rosary and water pot (kamandalu), is found only in Tamil Nadu. Balaswami holding a lotus flower, Kandasami bearing a staff, Velayudhar holding the Vel,
Shanmugar with the rooster flag, commander of the divine army, the one who dwells with Valli and Deivanai, the peacock-rider, Kumara Swami with the rooster banner, Arumugar – and countless other distinctive forms of Murugan exist only in temples of Tamil Nadu.
The modes of worship of Murugan found in Tamil Nadu are not seen elsewhere in the same way. Thus, there is indeed a profound truth in calling Murugan the Tamil God.
With affection,
Ma. Mariarajan
Translation by Hari
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