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Navaratri is a festival of nine nights celebrated all over India differently. It is a joyous festival which is celebrated every year during late September and early October.   The total period of worship lasts for nine days out of which the first three are dedicated to Durga, the next three to Lakshmi and the last three to Saraswati. These goddesses are the consorts of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma respectively. The culmination of the Navratri festival is Mahanavami

 Unlike to other Tamil Brahmin Agraharam where in the festival is celebrated with “Bommai Kollu” in every house, at Kodunthirapully this festival is celebrated in a unique manner and conducted in typical Kerala style and customs with elephants, processions, drums, panchavadyams and burning of crackers. Here it is the community festival celebrated mainly at Bhudevi Sridevi Sametha Adhikesavaperumal Temple, with distinct culture and tradition of their own, Tamil Brahmins with Kerala culture.. 

An air of festivity descends on the whole village for 9 days.   Nine to ten houses are grouped together and assigned a particular day, which they will take the full responsibility of the celebration including feeding the devotees.  They compete with one another to make their participation more colorful.  The really memorable one is on the last day, Mahanavami. There are continuous series of program for the whole day and night extending about 24 hours.  Several elephants more than 21 prominent richly caparisoned very big and majestic participate in the spectacular procession preceded by Panchavadyam, Chendamelam.  A huge crowd gathers to watch and listen to the performance, which is really a feast for the eye and the ear.

Most of the elephants were of donations of the devotees.  It is the common belief that one who prays the Lord Adhikesavaperumal for the boon of a male child on the Mahanavami day shall be surely be blessed with a child on the subsequent year and accordingly the devotee donates elephant for the procession. 

Sri Adhikesavaperumal on this day is on completely in prasanna mood eager to fulfill the desire of the devotee.  Thousands of people from far and near gathers on this day to participate and to receive the blessings of Sri Adhikesavaperumal.   Prasadam of the temple on these days of Navarathri is pure ghee ‘Naeyyappam’, which is lavishly offered.

Information provided by:

K.S. Narayanaswamy 

Jt. Secretary Mahanavami Committee