User:Mariadevi/sandbox

Nayinar Temple
Nayinar Temple is situated at Raajankattalai  in Thiruvarur  district, Tamil Nadu..The temple is devoted to Lord Nayinar. Nayina Mohamad is a muslim, who came from Singapore and fulfilled the wishes of the people  in Rajaankattlai.It is believed that after his death, his soul said to somebody to build a temple for him. This temple was built by a Hindu and thus he became the Lord of Hindus living there. They changed the name Nayina Mohamad into a Hindu name Nayinar. Somehow the news about the miracles of the Lord Nayinar reached Singapore. The wizards from Singapore arrived Rajaankattalai and arrested and took him to Singapore so that, the people there will be blessed by him. The Lord Nayinar requested the wizards to permit him to go to Rajaankattalai and stay there for five days every year. The people who worship him for these five days will be blessed by him. Even today the people celebrate these five days in the Tamil month of Pankuni, every year.

Therukoothu, a kind of streetplay is an inevitable part of the celebration. There are other five minor Gods in the temple, namely Maariyamman, Vinayaga, Ayyanar, Periyatchi and Amman. Customs like theemidhi(walking over the burning charcoal),Kaavadi, a kind of danceform, Karagam, Kaparai, are deedicated to these minor Gods. Karagam is a silver pot decorated with flowers and neem leaves, which is carried on the head of the person, who is considered to be bearing the spirit of the Goddess Maariyamman.This pot is carried at the first night of the festival. People give offerings to Maariyamman while he visits their home. On the second day a person will carry kapparai,which is a pot full of burning charcoal. People give oil to pour into the burning pot and milk to the person, who carries the pot. After drinking the milk, he starts to speak as Maariyamman, which is called arulvaakku. Still it is believed that, if anybody tries to take photo of the Lord Nayinar there will be only a black colour instead of the image. In fear of the curse by the Lord Nayinar nobody tries to take the photo.