Sunday, March 05, 2006

After the ride around the tank. The deity goes back to the temple. Posted by Picasa

7 comments:

tris said...

I am not sure how this whole float thing works. who are the people in it?

Anonymous said...

The religious significance, I need to find out. Was planning to do it.

As to the working -- apart from the priests, musicians (nadhaswaram and thavil) and temple officials, it looked as if just about everybody who can manage to clamber on gets a ride.
The float itself is just a huge raft of tin/plastic barrels, casuarina poles and bamboo. People on the shore drag the float around, 3 - 7 rounds, and that is it.

At the Parthasarathy temple float, Triplicane, the float was dragged around the tank entirely by kids. Some of them just grabbed the opportunity to swim around in the tank, which is out of bounds at other times.
There were kids in the water hanging on to it screaming and shouting instructions nobody listens - supposed to help control the float. And everybody had a jolly time.

tris said...

No I did not need the religious significance just the explanation you gave - thanks!

Unknown said...

Balaji, does the mandapam in the middle have any significance. Does the deity stop off their during the Theppam festival?

Anonymous said...

Hi WA, most temple tanks have the central mandapam. But I do not know their significance.
No, the float does not drop off the deity in that Mandapam - at least not the few that I have seen.

Visithra said...

Nice photos thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

Visithra, You are welcome.