THIRUVATHIRA

Thiruvathira festival falls on the asterism Thiruvathira in the Malayalam month of Dhanu (Decembe-January). The orgin of the festival is shrouded in obscurity. The people celebrate this festival upon age-old this festival upon age-old tradition and they do it with great joy and respect for the past. The Ardra Darshan celebrated in Tamil Nadu corresponds to Thiruvathira of Kerala. It is considered to be highly auspicious to worship Siva and the devotees go to the temple before sunrise for darshan. Apart from the worship in the Siva temple, there is very little celebration in the houses. Tradtion has it that Thiruvathira festivals is celebrated in commemoration of the death of Kamadeva, the mythological God of love. According to another version Thiruvathira is the birth day of Lord Siva.

Even though the Thiruvathira is celebrated by most of the Hindu communities it is essentially a Nair women's festival. Defying the biting cold of December, women get up at about 4 AM and take bath on seven days commencing from the asteriasm Aswathi. While taking bath they sing certain songs mostly relating to the God of love, accompanied buy a rhythmic sound produced by splashing water with their fists. In conclusion they stand in a circle in the water hand in hand singing songs. Thiruvathira is a day of fasting and the women discard the ordinary rice meal on that day, but only take preparations of chama (Panicum miliaceum) or wheat. Other items of their food include plantain fruits, tender coconuts, et. They also chew betel and redden their lips. Among Namboodiris, Ambalavasis (temple-servants) and high class Nairs, there is a convention that each woman should chew 108 betels on that day. The first Thiruvathira coming after the marriage of a girl is known as puthen Thiruvathira or Poothiruvathira and it is celebrated on a grand scale.

From preshistoric times, Malayalee woman enjoyed an enviable position in the society, and she was practically the mistress of her house. The elevated position she occupied at home and in the society had distinguished her from her neighbors and influenced to a considerable extent the social structure, customs and religious practices of the people. The culmination of this phenomenon is clearly visible in setting apart on of the three great festivals of Kerala viz. Thiruvathira, exclusively for womenfolk, for which a parallel can hardly be found in any section of the Indian Society.

Among Namboodiris and ambalavasis (temple servants) and Nairs who have close association with Namboodiris, there is a custom called Pathirappooochoodal, meaning wearing of flowers of midnight. At the midnight of Thiruvathira, an image of Siva is placed at the central courtyard and flowers, plantains and jaggery are offered to the deity. They then perform Kaikottikali round the deity. Flowers are taken from the offering and worn by them