Tiruchendur temple, TN "Soorasamharam" event 2023 took place with religious fervor and devotion

2023 Tiruchendur soora samharam thehindu.com

Tiruchendur Murugan temple, TN tiruchendur.org

Above image (old one 2018) Tiruchendur Murugan temple, TN: God Kartikeya / Murugan emerges from His Kanda Sasti Mandapam for Soorasamharam on the sixth day.After this event,Śrī Subramanya Valli Teyvanai Tiru Kalyanam (wedding) will take place.............................

This year on November 17, 2023 tens of thousands of devotees from various parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States witnessed the highlight of the popular ''Kandha Sashti'' festival, Soorasamharam (annihilation of demon) at Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district.

The ''Kandha Shasti'' festival, an important event associated with six shrines (Aarupadai Veedu in Tamil) of Subramanya Swamy (Karthikeya/Muruga), is celebrated with devotion in the month of November and the festival may last 6 to 7 days, depending on the temples and their traditions. The festival commences with customary temple flag-hoisting on an auspicious day and time followed by complex Yagasala pooja rituals

Devotees began their Sashti fast on the premises of Subramaniya Swami temple here when The Kanda Sashti yagasala puja had started on November 13 after viswaroopa deeparadhana and udhaya marthanda abhishekam were held. Upon taking a holy dip in the sea, countless devotees began their Sashti fast on the premises of Subramaniya Swami temple here for which 21 temporary sheds were set up by the temple office. On Saturday, Soorasamharam began at 5.15 p.m after the completion of rituals and other traditional ceremonies that began at 1 a.m. After deeparadhana at Santhosha mandapam, Lord Murugan (Uchava murthy) was taken out in a procession.

''Soora Samharam''(Slaying of demon) is a mock up battle between vicious demon Soorapadman and his troops on one side and Lord Karthikeya on the other side in which the lord slays the demon, thus restoring peace and tranquility in the region and this colorful and exciting event takes place on the seashore near the temple. Once the event with fanfare is over, the lord's idol is taken with reverence back to the temple. Devotees , after this event, take a holy dip in the tank, purportedly to wash off their sins. This festival is symbolic of the victory of the good over the evil.

This time, the temple was overcrowded, the Police took special precautions and erected towers on the beach to monitor the crowd, apart they had CCTC cameras fixed at 80 vantage points to keep an eye on the hooligans and other criminal activities. Not to be content, they had .Check-posts at 20 spots in and around Tiruchendur. Police personnel were deployed at vital junctions to prevent traffic bottlenecks, An additional posse of police took care of the security around the popular temple.

The district administration had Six LED screens installed on the beach to enable the devotees to witness the highlight of the annual festival - Soorasamharam. This year for the Soorasamharam, more than 5,00,000 devotees were expected to descend on the seashore temple at Tiruchendur.

thiruchendur Murugan temple, TN tock.adobe.com

Above image: Thiruchendur Murugan temple, TN: This big temple built for the child god Muruga to pray to Lord Shiva. Hence in the Sanctum, Lord Subramanya Swamy is seen in the posture of worshiping Lord Shiva...................................

Soorasamharam, TN. tiruchendur.org

The importance of this colorful festival is fasting . ''Kandha Shasti Vratham'' (fasting) is strictly observed once a year in the month of ‘Aippasi' (October–November), starting from the ‘piratamai' the 1st phase of the brightening moon. The mind is supposed to be cleansed by fasting, pilgrimage, prayer, meditation and other devotional activities that will put them on the path of Dharma in a world where dishonesty and evil rule the roost.

During the festival days the devotees must abstain from drinks and non-vegetarian food and do pooja (prayer) regularly in the early morning after bath. They also fast by just taking one meal a day. 'Devotees never fail to practice celibacy during the festival period. Innumerable ardent devotees walk long distance barefoot, covering more than 20 kms to the temples dedicated to Karthkaya /Muruga to fulfill their prayer/vow, a tedious religious undertaking by people of all walks of life. Driven by intense devotion and commitments, they do it without feeling the pangs of fatigue and pain when doing long patha yatra to the temple.