Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer
Aaloy Gangopadhyay
Ancient India always had a fascination with astronomy. The movement of celestial bodies and stars gave the notion of time in Indian postulation. The division of time into seconds (Thruti, Prana, Vinaadi), minutes (Naadi, Muhurtha), hours (Yama), days (Ahoratra), months (Maasa) and years (Varsha) paved the way for routine life and living. Science and religion amalgamated to produce orthopraxy. In South India, the Chola Empire (300 BCE- 1279 CE) through an evolved mathematical astronomy utilized asterism in shipping of heavy goods, celebrating festivals and in defense strategies. They had a completely different kind of names of constellation based on “Nalayira Divyapravandam” or Tamil Veda. There were 27 constellations like Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrigashirsha, Maagha, Dhanishtha and Revati to name a few. Asterism is characterized by the patterns of stars with shapes and sizes that can range from the very simple, containing just a few stars, to the larger and more complex — with some of these arrangements of stars covering large regions of the sky.
Religious festivals are closely associated with the system of astronomy and chronology by which their periods are determined. The early Hindu rulers closely observed it and made provisions for performance of those festivals in the temples. They maintained the daily worship, monthly festivals and yearly festivals particularly on the specific day of the asterism, which is connected with some god, or the consecration of a temple, etc. During Chola period (300 BCE- 1279 CE), a number of festivals were performed in almost all temples either in connection with the day of the king’s accession star or on the day of his natal star.
One of the festivals of Vishnu in Tamil Nadu
Most of the Chola rulers tried to associate themselves with the subjects to divine and royal roles. The sponsorship of the festivals was determined by support of royal treasury or aristocratic investment. The festivals were performed on their asterisms while they were rulers. All such festivals were performed only in their regnal years. No inscription has been found illustrating that festival was performed on the asterism of a dead Chola ruler. It means that the festivals were conducted based on the longevity of the ruler. The king would also perform for his race, queen and children. For instance an inscription from Tiruvorrivur mentions that a kamyapuja was performed for the health of Virarajendra (1002-1070 CE), for the prosperity of his race, for the longevity of the queen’s Tirumangalyam and for the health of their children.
Festivals lasting for seven or ten days following the asterism of the ruler were organized to make people elevate the grace and dignity of the king. The celebration of the ‘Rajaraja Natkam’ and ‘Rajesvaram Natkam’ was intended to emphasize the achievement in public.
Temples in different places drew the attention to the pilgrims from different states. Epigraphs illustrate the visit of many northerners to Chola temples on festival days. These centers no doubt drew large crowd’s beneficial contacts and mutual understanding. It has been held that the diversity of Hinduism is the result of such free mixing and the consequent understanding and appreciation of the values of other creeds and faiths.
The festivals of the Chola period may be broadly divided into Nitya puja, Naimitya puja and Kamyapuja. Nityapuja was classified into Upasanti, Purvasanti, Utchikala, Sayaratsa, Mabasanti and Artbasama. Naimitya Pujas were performed on special occasions in every month. Few examples like Chitra Paurnami, Sivaratri, Pankuniuttiram, Purattasi. The Kamya festival was performed by the Kings, queens, and feudatories and by some individuals-either on the name of the God or Goddess or after the asterism of the kings. The ten-day festivals in the big temple at Tanjavur, Chidambaram and other places were conducted after the asterism of the Chola rulers.
Temples constituted the bedrock of the synthetic outlook and lofty spiritual idealism of the age of the Cholas and provided a rich incentive to religious life thereby contributing to the growth of the national and cultural solidarity.
God Periyandavar, worshipped in many festivals during Cholas
Sadayam festival was celebrated on the asterism of Rajaraja I (947-1014 CE). On this Sadaya asterism, monthly as well as yearly festivals were performed in many temples. The Tiruvalangadu copper plates refer to the monthly festival on the asterism of sadayam. An inscription from Tirunandikkava, Tanjore district refers to the endowment of Muttam village to the local Siva temple for performing a festival on the asterism Sadayam in which Rajaraja I was born.
In the month of Avani the Sadayam festival obviously after the asterism of Rajaraja I, was celebrated in the Ulogmadeviccaram temple at Tiruvaiyaru, Tanjore district. On the same asterism, ‘the Rajarajan festival’ was celebrated for seven days in the Veragaperumal temple at Tirudantai Chinglepet district. Queens also performed festivals and endowed lands for the same. For instance Panchavan Mahadeviyar, the queen of Rajaraja I (947-1014 CE), made certain endowments celebrating a festival, once every month, in the temple at Tiruppugalur on the day of Sadayam Sabtabhishaj which was the birthday of her lord Rajaraja I and herself.
Women Participating in Tamil festival
The son of the ruler also made endowments for the celebration of a festival after his father’s natal star. Rajadita or Rajendradeva Chola (997-1064 CE), the son of Rajendra I (971- 1044 CE), made such endowments for conducting festivals to secure the health of his father. Another interesting feature of these inscriptions that is some of the festivals were conducted in the Vishnu temple.
The asterism of Virarajendra (1002-1070 CE) is Ayilyam and festivals were performed in the Shiva temple on his natal star. An inscription from Tiruvorriyur mentions that Sayasinga Kulakala Vilupparaiyan, one of the officers of Virarajendra, made provision for conducting a kamya festival on the day of Ayilam at Tiruvorriyur temple.
Historically it is indicative that all these events related to asterism have been recorded in inscriptions. It gives a glimpse of vibrant social life based on faith and religion. Daily rites of temples were determined by a cycle of rituals which was appropriated through cycle of time and life. The asterism made a great impact on the masses who followed vigorously only in order to save themselves from evil and choose righteousness in daily life and living.
Bibliography
“Festivals After The Asterism of The Chola Kings” by A. Swaminathan, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 39, Volume I (1978), pp. 270-274 (5 pages)
“Rites And Rituals of Abhirameswarar Temple – A Study” by V. Suganya, Dr. V. Raju, © 2018 JETIR December 2018, Volume 5, Issue 12 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162)
“The Colas” by K.A. Nilakantha Shastri
Web References
https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/hindu-constellations/
