TranslateWhen: January
Theerthavari is the ritual of taking temple deities to a sacred water body for a ceremonial bath, observed at temples across Tamil Nadu at different points in the year. At Rameswaram it is performed in the sea at Agni Theertham, while inland temples conduct it at rivers and temple tanks, often as the closing act of a longer festival.
When
Varies by temple; major observances in January and during Masi
Where
Rameswaram, Kumbakonam, Srirangam, Thiruvarur and other temple towns
Duration
One day, usually concluding a longer festival
Main highlight
The procession of deities into the sea or tank
The processional idols are decorated and carried from the temple to the water in a palanquin, accompanied by nadaswaram and thavil. Priests perform abhishekam and aarti at the water's edge, and the deity is symbolically immersed. Devotees bathe in the same water immediately afterwards, considering it purified by the ritual.
At Rameswaram, theerthavari takes place at Agni Theertham beside the Ramanathaswamy temple, where twenty-two sacred wells within the temple are also part of the pilgrimage. Srirangam performs it on the Cauvery, Kumbakonam at the Mahamaham tank, and coastal temples along the Coromandel conduct sea theerthavari during Masi Magam.
Rameswaram is reached across the Pamban bridge from Mandapam and has direct trains from Chennai and Madurai. The ritual takes place early in the morning. Check the individual temple's festival calendar, as theerthavari dates differ between temples and are usually tied to a specific star and month.
