2023 Thai Poosam Kavady Festival

Vannakum Dear Devotee,

Our Johannesburg Melrose Shree Siva Subramaniar Temple will be hoisting its annual Thai Poosam Kavady festival as follows:

• • Flag Hoisting: 26 January 18h00
  • Daily Prayer: 27 January 18h00 28 January 15h00 29 January 09h00 30 January 18h00 31 January 18h00 01 February 18h00 02 February 18h00 03 February 18h00
  • Main Day 04 February 08h00

Devotees will be allowed to carry Kavady on Saturday 28 January, Sunday 29 January and on the Main day, Saturday 04 February 2023.

KAVADIES/PAAL KODUMS ONLINE BOOKING.

Devotees wishing to carry kavadies/ paal kodums must book online

You will receive a copy of your booking via email and must print out and bring to the temple on the day you choose to carry your kavady/paal kodum. This registration will enable us to plan our logistics for this festival.

Our Board has decided to allow those devotees wishing to carry Kavady to do so on 2 additional days prior to the Main day, being Saturday 28 January 2023 and Sunday 29 January 2023. Kavady carriers must be at the temple by 12h30 on Saturday 28 January 2023 and 06h00 on Sunday 29 January 2023 in order to do the abeshgum and decoration of their kavadies/paal kodums. Once the kavadies/paal kodums are decorated, the Kavady carriers must take their kavadies/ paal kodums and form a line in front of the temple. The blessings of the kavadies/paal kodums will take place after Guru has performed the hawaan.

NOTE: Devotees carrying Kavadies/ paal kodums on these two days are still required to continue with their fast observance until the dehoisting of the flag on the afternoon of the Main day.

 

Kavady Main Day preparations

The abeshegum of the kavadies for Main day will take place on Friday 03 February, from 14h00. Kavady carriers are required to collect their kavadies from our Booking Clerk, perform the abeshugum of their kavady, proceed 1 round around the temple and then decorate their kavady. Once decorated, Kavadies can then be left in a designated area overnight for collection on the Main day.

Please note that once the abeshegum of the kavady has been done, it should not leave the temple premises.

 

Main Day procedures

Arrive at the temple by 07h30 on Saturday, collect your kavady, and form a line around the temple with your kavady. Kanganums collected. Once Guru has completed the morning prayers, we will then proceed to the Chinese park following our Lord Muruga’s chariot. At the Chinese park, Guru will do the hawaan and then the smoking of the milk chombos will commence. Once this process is done, kavady carriers must return to their kavadies, fill the milk into the chombos and attach to their kavadies. They can then do their prayer at their kavady. Guru and the Stannigars will then come through and bless the kavadies. Those devotees wishing to pierce must make arrangements with their own assistants for piercing. Our temple does not provide these assistants. We intend leaving the grounds at 11h00, proceeding up Third Avenue, short Left and then onto Second Avenue, entering the Main entrance of the temple. Once on temple grounds, Kavady carriers must go 3 times around the temple, before entering the temple to offer their milk to Guru who will in turn perform the milk/paal abeshegum to our divine Lord Muruga. Part of the Kavady carriers vow entails watching the milk/paal abeshegum of our Lord Muruga with the milk/paal that they carried to offer. Once done, kavady carriers can then sit in the temple and continue observing the abeshegum of our divine lord. Kavady carriers are requested to clean their kavady before returning it to the temple. The flowers should be taken home and used as garlands in the house, as these have been blessed. Once the full abeshegum of our Lord Muruga has been completed, Guru will do the the Nevietheum (food) offering to all deities. We will then do one round around the temple before dehoisting the flag, followed by another 2 rounds before entering the temple to offer the deepams/lamps, offering of the upacharas and conclusion with the mangalum to our Muruga. Due to the large number of devotees attending we urge all devotees to exercise restraint, compassion and patience with other devotees during the festival. In view of the recent Covid pandemic and the need for personal health and safety of all devotees, we urge devotees to use a face mask when at the temple and sanitize your hands regularly. If you are not feeling well on the day, we urge you to rather stay and home and observe the prayer on our various broadcast media. Links will be sent out daily.

Vetri Vel Muruga
Nandri

 

DONATIONS/SPONSORSHIPS.

Devotees wishing to make donations to offset the costs of this prayer festival should contact our Chairman, Mr Maganathan Padayachee on 0716090620. Cash donations can be deposited into our temple bank account, details as follows:

Account Name          –    Melrose Siva Subramaniar Temple Trust NPC

Bank                           –    Standard Bank

Branch                       –    Alberton

Account no.               –    201975483

Reference                  –    TPK2022