Tamilnadu Fairs and Festivals

the sixth day in the bright half of the month of Aippasi (Oct 15 - Nov 15), is celebrated in Saivite temples all over Tamilnadu, and with an extra measure of grandeur in temples dedicated to Subramanya. Skanda Sashti commemorates the destruction of evil by the Supreme General Kartikeya, son of Shiva.

Most South Indian temples celebrate Bhramotsavam, a ten day long festival involving the procession of festival images on gaily decorated mounts. The significance of Bhramotsavam in SriVaishnava temples, and  the daily events in the 9 day  Bhramotsavam at Tirumala (Tirupati) are presented here.

The pre-dawn hours of the full moon night, in the tamil month of Margazhi coinciding with the asterism of Tiruvadirai  marks the auspicious time for Arudra Darisanam - of Nataraja in Saivite temples all over Tamilnadu. The 10 day festival (Margazhi Peruvizhaa) is described in detail in this feature.

The Arunachaleswarar Temple at Tiruvannamalai is one of the grandest in India. The Grand Kartikai Peruvizha,a complex festival involving a multitude of festivites and hundreds of thousands of participants happens with amazing regularity, each year - and can be described as a case study in  operations management.

The Chittirai Tiruvizha at the Madurai temple attracts hundreds of thousands. It features spectacular processions and an enactment of Meenakshi Kalyanam.