 The Bala Subrahmania
Swami temple situated in Ulloor-- a stone's throw from Trivandrum,
the capital city of Kerala. The annual "Thaipooya Kaavadi
maholsavam" here attracts thousand of devotees from far
and wide. The festival falls on "Pooyam" day on the
Malayalam month of Makaram(January). The Kaavadi, originally meant a contraption which could be used to carry ones belongings. The contraption is shaped like a bow with a pole which could be placed on one's shoulder with belongings balanced on either sides and is usually made of wood. The legends have it that Sage Agasthya, had wanted his favourite disciple, Hidumbasura, to bring two hillocks, from Kailasam, the abode of Lord Shiva. Hidumbasura, and the obedient disciple set out to Kailasam and plucked out the two hillocks after paying due obeisance to the Lord. He made a bow of wood and placed the two hillocks on either side of it and balanced it across his mighty shoulders the first Kaavadi ever. He planned to bring it back to his Guru's ashrama, but destiny and the Lord Subrahmaniya had decided otherwise. As ill-luck would have it Hidumbasuran lost his way in the dense woods on his way back to his Guru's ashrama. Lord Subrahmanian came in the guise of a king and took the tired Hidumbasura to his kingdom. The tired asura slept off and when he woke he could no  longer lift
the Kaavadi, with the two hillock. The bewildered asura saw a
small child playing on top of the hillock and with his powers
of penance understood that the child was indeed Lord Subrahmaniya
who had come to test him. He bowed before the Lord. The Lord
blessed him and was relieved of all sins. This happened in the
Pooyam (Poosam) day of the month Makaram on which day the Kaavadi
festival is celebrated. The festival begins with the "Kappukettal"ceremony
which falls twelve days before. The devotees who have decided
to take the Kaavadi goes on a "vritha" of abstaining
from violence, sex and non-vegetarian food. Most of them stay
in the temple premises. There are mainly three types of Kaavadi
at Ulloor of which the "agnikavadi" holds the centre
stage. In agnikaavadi, the devotee jumps into the burning embers
and come out unscathed as they put "it due to Lord's grace".
The procession accompanied by caparisoned elephants sets off early in the morning from Shiva temple near Gowrisapattom and covers over five kilometers to the Subrahmania temple. Tiny tots go in for the "palkavadi" a pot full of milk, while the young people take the "pookavadi" the kavadi may contain vibhuthi or flowers which will be offered to the deity after the procession. |