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Home > Temples of Kerala > uthsava uthsavaThe very purpose of conducting uthsava is to bring prosperity to the devotees and people of the locality apart from increasing the Deva-chaithanya, which might have been either lost or deteriorated due to negligence, on account of improper poojas or unethical activities that might have taken place after the last festival. Therefore uthsava is conducted especially if the temple is having parivaara-prathishta at periodical intervals ie, at least once in a year or in certain temples once in 2 years, 3 years or after a specified period. Uthsava is conducted immediately after prathishta or during uttharaayana period with the concluding day (Aaraat day) falling on the asterisk of the deity. In some cases it is noted that the asterisk of the deity is taken as the commencing day of the festival and in that case it is held in dakshinaayana also. The period of festival varies from temple to temple. ie, five to twelve days in a month or in rare cases up to five months as in the case of the famous Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathi temple, where the Kalamezhutth paattu, commences on the 1st day of Vrshikam and continues upto Meenam which is a prelude to the uthsava of eleven days starting from the makeeryam asterisk of Meenam. Uthsava are of three types dwaja, ankura and pataaha. Of late an impression has been made in the minds of the public that uthsava means the staging of entertainments which is totally misleading. The importance of uthsava rests with the rites done in the temple and all the other activities are of secondary importance. The principal rite of uthsava is the uthsava-bali, which is a more elaborate process than Sree-bali (orSeeveli) done every day or Sree Bhootha-bali. Sree-bali is confined to the deities and Devathas installed at the temple and is similar to taking of daily food in which only members of the family participate. On the otherhand, Sree-Bhootha-bali is more elaborate and is a pooja in all its entities covering all deities and similar to a birthday function in which apart from members some special invitees also participate. The uthsava-bali is more elaborate in nature than Sree-Bhootha-bali and covers all activities and characteristics of the deity and is similar to a marriage in a household in which all relatives and friends are invited. Uthsava-bali as in the case of Sree Bhootha-bali has to be conducted by the Thanthri, who is revered as the father of the deity if he himself has initially installed or re-installed the idol. In other cases he is like a Guru. The kriyas done by him start with the rite of mulayital (already explained in paragraph 5.23) and hoisting of flag of the deity which represent the inculcation of power for kindling the kundalini-sakthi. The flag represents kundalini-agni and the rope represents the vaayu. The process of hoisting the flag symbolizes the taking of the kundalini-agni from the bottom by praana-vaayu to the sahsraara, ie, top of the dwaja, where the vaahana is installed. In temples where no permanent dwaja is consecrated a temporary pole is erected with all the concemed Poojas. Further the shape of the flag used for uthsava is peculiar with triangle at the ends, which symbolizes the yaaga-agni mentioned in Saasthras and not merely a flag representing the God. Even the colour of the flag is that ofthe colour of the Sun at dawn. Two days prior to the uthsava, praasaada-suddhi and bimba-suddhi (in certain cases) have to be performed. Then at the muhoorttham (auspicious time) , vaahana-pooja and aavaahana are done and the flag, bells, garland etc are taken in procession with beating of paani and other musical instruments to the Dwaja sthamba and pooja done for the dwaja and the flag hoisted. On every day of the festival Sree-Bhootha-bali (uthsava-bali in the moming in certain cases) is done at forenoon and after noon, abesides navaka-kalasaabhisheka at noon. This is done on all days till the evening of the penultimate day of the uthsava when pallivetta is celebrated followed by pallikkurup (royal sleep) at night. The important rites in the morning of the last day (aaraat day) are palliunartth, alankara-pooja and yaathra-homam. Aaraat-bali is done along with uccha pooja followed by aaraat procession. On return of the procession the flag is lowered, udwaasa done, and the flag is taken inside the garbha-grha supplemented by aaraat-kalasam and completion of remaining rites of uccha pooja. In certain temples the timing of aaraat and lowering of the flag etc is either in the evening or even at night, depending on the customs and procedures followed in those temples. During the uthsava days some of the traditional temple performing arts are staged like Kathhakali, Ottam-thullal, Pathakam, Chaakkiar-kooth, Krishnanaattam, Kalamezhutth paatt, Paavakooth, Theyyam etc accompanied by appropriate musical and percussion instruments like Thaayambaka, Panchaari-mela, Pancha-vaadya etc. Of late, the local temple committees are engaged in staging of, ballet, dance, kathha-prasanga, mimicry etc which do not represent the true tenets of spirituality and these affect the very sanctity of temples. It is high time that such present practices are replaced by the old Kshethra-kalas, music concerts of devotional songs etc.
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