Magic in the air...

... Madurai is bebopping with the Chitra festival

It's something to do with the season, I think. As summer nears its glorious peak, one city in India goes into celebration mode. All those who reside in that city look forward eagerly to that all important day - the first day of the Chithira thiruvizha (Chitra festival) celebrated in the city of Madurai.

For an entire month, Madurai exudes the alluring fragrance of jasmine, the flower predominantly used to deck the city for the festival. No one remains inside the house, no one talks about anything other than the thiruvizha, no one hears anything other than classical music and no one watches anything but folk dramas. Or that's how it's supposed to be. Except that, today, A R Rahman's music is more popular than the nadaswaram or the thevaram, while the latest films beat folk dramas hollow when it comes to viewership.

It was not always like this, though. Many centuries ago, there was no Chithira thiruvizha. The kingdom of Madurai was, instead, under a pall of gloom. For King Malayadwaja Pandya and Queen Kanchanamala did not have any offsping. Ergo, there was no one to inherit the throne. In desperation, they performed a yagna -- and the homa kunda delivered a three-year old girl with three breasts.

The delighted royals named their daughter Thadathakai or Meenakshi. On the day she was deemed old enough to take on the mantle of rulership, her father sent her on a digvijaya journey around the kingdom to assert her supremacy as the heir to the throne. She had won almost the entire kingdom when, at a place called Eeshanyamoola, Lord Shiva appeared before her in the form of Sundareswara.

Dazzled by his sharp eyes and arresting personality, she dropped her bow and arrows. And, as she felt the first pangs of love, her third breast vanished. He proposed to her immediately and their marriage was fixed for the month of Masi. It was a grand wedding, celebrated with splendour and pomp.

Which was how the Chitra festival, of which Meenakshi kalyanam (wedding) is the main event, began to be celebrated in the month of Masi. Until the 17th century when another Madurai king, Thirumalanaikar, began to worry about the increasing discord between the Shaivites (those who worship Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavites (those who worship Lord Vishnu) in his kingdom.

The only path to integration lay in combining the totally Shaiva Chitra festival with Azhakar temple's Chitra festival (held in the nearby village of Thirumalirincholai, this festival celebrated in praise of Lord Vishnu). The now famous Chitra festival, of which the Meenakshi temple festival is a part, is the result of this amalgamation. People also believe that Meenakshi is
Lord Vishnu's sister; in fact, contrary to legend, there are pictures of Lord Vishnu giving his sister away to Lord Shiva.

The Chitra festival lasts for nearly 15 to 20 days. It begins with the dhwajarohanam or kodiyettam. And, for the next eight days, the pancha moorthis (five deities) - (Vinayaka, Chandikeswara, Subramanya, Meenakshi and Sundareswara) tour the city on different vahanas (vehicles).

On the ninth day, Meenakshi moves around the city for her digvijaya. The whole story is enacted by a young girl, representing Meenakshi, and a small boy as Sundareswara. Both of them appear on horse back, with bows and arrows, and re-enact the battle. They stand under a pandal or platform and, as Meenakshi drops her weapons at the feet of Sundareswara, flowers tied on top of the pandal are showered on the deities and the little children.

The wedding, celebrated on the 10th day, is performed inside the temple. At this point, two priests take on the role of the bride and the groom. They sit on a wooden platform decorated with white jasmine flowers and participate in the ritualistic wedding. The crowing moment comes when the mangalsutra or ceremonial necklace is tied on the deity.

In the evening, the bedecked queen mother is taken around the city on a palanquin decorated with flowers. And, seated on a golden elephant, Lord Shiva and Meenakshi give darshan to the people of the city for the first time.

On the 12th day, Lord Vishnu or Azhakar arrives in the city and the focus moves from the temple to the outskirts of Madurai. Here, the people are no longer passive onlookers, they become part and parcel of the festival.

As He enters the city, multitudes of people walk from the temple to welcome Him. Since He is also the family deity of many wealthy traders in and around Madurai, they believe that the purpose of this visit is to collect gifts. Depending on what the devotee can afford, the gifts vary from sugarcane to rice to money.

Irrespective of their position in the society, all Azhakar devotees are bound by tradition to dress as buffoons and walk the streets. They also carry sprinklers, which have been in their possession for centuries. As they move along the streets, dancing and clowning, they spray water on everyone.

Crowds of people, from Madurai and the nearby villages, throng the streets to welcome Azhakar with fireworks, lights and sound. Azhakar remains outside throughout the night, enjoying the love and attention that is showered on Him. He even changes his appearance every two hours as He is decorated with flowers, coins and even as Mohini. The celebratory mood in enhanced by music and dramas, enacted by professionals and amateurs alike. For the people of Madurai, it is a day to be remember, a day worth waiting for.

The next day, Azhakar returns home on a golden horse. And His devotees, who have not slept the entire night, follow Him. As He is about to cross the river, a perumal Goodalazhakar, mounted on a silver horse, comes from the city to tell Him that He is late; His sister's wedding is already over. The disillusioned Azhakar continues His journey towards Thenoor.

Revathi Sankaran, a former resident of Madurai, recalls, "We Hindus believe that the surest way to salvation is to die in Kashi. Similarly, we also belive that another way to salvation is to live in Madurai. Which is why, to be able to witness the celestial wedding of Meenakshi and Lord Shiva is a great opportunity. Everyone looks at the Meenakshi kalyanam as a family wedding.

"On that day, we would get up early, dress in our new silks and all our jewellery and reach the temple by 8 am to ensure ourselves of a good vantage point. This was the mid-fifties. After nightfall, we had dramas, therukkoothu, kavadiyattam; the music which went on till the wee hours of the morning.

"My grandmother used to tell me that, in the early forties, beautiful devdasis used to dance in front of the procession along with a group of people singing the thevaram and playing the nadaswaram.

"What I loved most though, were the bangles, flowers, balloons, shops, the vendors -- the whole atmosphere. Even after I left Madurai, I still try to return for the Chithira thiruvizha every year. That's the magic of the festival."

Sketches by Dominic Xavier