Apart from Sanskrit invocations, Tirumurai, a Tamil compendium of hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, will be recited on the day of consecration (kumbabishekam) of the Brihadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur on February 5.
“This is as per the temple’s custom and usage. It happened in June 1997 as well. This year too, the recital will be done both at the yagasalai and during the mahabhishekam on the day of consecration,” said a senior official of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
On Tuesday, the State government, in response to a petition, told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that recital of Tamil mantras alone was not possible. There had been demands in certain quarters that the Big Temple’s consecration be performed in Tamil. Last week, DMK president M.K. Stalin called for performing the event in accordance with Tamil customs and traditions.
Meanwhile, the government had formed a 21-member committee of senior officials to oversee and monitor arrangements for the consecration and ensure that the event was conducted “peacefully and successfully”.
Headed by Chief Secretary (K. Shanmugam), the panel includes 12 secretaries of various departments such as Finance, Home, Revenue, Municipal Administration and Water Supply apart from the Director-General of Police, the Director of Fire and Rescue Services, the General Manager of the Southern Railway and the Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
In the last 40 years, this will be the third time that the temple is having the consecration. On April 3, 1980, the event took place after 177 years. In 1997, it was originally planned for June 8 but was held the next day (June 9) as a fire broke out at the yagasalai on the evening of June 7, leading to stampede and the death of 40 persons.
