What Is Ther Thiruvila (Chariot Street Festival)
Thiruvizha" is a Tamil term that translates to "chariot street festival." These annual Hindu celebrations occur worldwide, with each temple honoring its primary deity. During the festival, the deity's idol is carried through the streets surrounding the temple, symbolizing the god or goddess personally hearing their devotees' prayers. In Hinduism, deities are often referred to using both masculine and feminine pronouns due to the diverse pantheon. The "Trimurti," or the Hindu trinity, consists of Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer). Their female counterparts form the "Tridevi": Saraswathi (goddess of knowledge), Lakshmi (goddess of wealth), and Thurkkai (goddess of power and bravery). These deities are believed to take various "avatars" or incarnations to combat evil in the world. Temples are typically dedicated to a primary deity but also house shrines for other gods and goddesses like Pillaiyar, Murugan, and the Navagrahas (celestial bodies). During the chariot festival, the temple's main deity is honored with the largest chariot, often accompanied by smaller chariots carrying popular deities such as Pillaiyar, Murugan, or Thurkkai.
During this event, the deities will be carried on massive wheeled chariots pulled by numerous devotees using ropes. The chariots will also accommodate the priest (Iyer) who will adorn the deities with garlands, flowers, gold ornaments like tridents, crowns, and slippers, as well as sacred powders such as ‘Vibuthi’ and ‘Kumkum/Kungamum’.
The priest will accept and bless offerings from the devotees on behalf of the deity, a practice known as ‘Archachinai Thattu’ in Tamil. Offerings typically include coconut halves, auspicious powders, fruits (usually bananas, oranges, and apples), and, of course, FLOWERS. However, this leads to significant congestion and limited space for devotees due to the large turnout, often in the hundreds, at such festivals.
Theechaati
This form of devotion is mainly practiced by women, particularly in Amman temples. The devotee carries a clay pot with a fire image resting on a cloth stand on her head, walking along the deity’s path.
They release the burden when the deity returns to the temple or when the devotee can no longer continue. Similar to Kaavadi, this act is a gesture of gratitude and devotion to God for resolving challenges like stress, illness, family separation, and difficulties in conception.