The story of Iyppasi Annabhishekam

Annabhishekam is held on full moon day in the seventh month of every year - i.e. Iyppasi (Tamil calendar) Asvini (Hindu calendar) (October/November), for Shivalingam, presiding deity of all Shiva Temples in South India. Devotees believe that performing annabhishekam to the Lord on this day would rid them of all their problems.

In the year 1986 Shri Rajagopalan (Shri Mettur Swamigal) and Shri Thyagarajan (Shri Kuvalaikal Swamigal) in their poorvashrama with few more attendants of Shri Mahaswamigal went to Haridwar and fetched a number of sizable copper cans filled with water from the river Ganges in a lorry with the idea that Shri Mahaswamigal might use the Ganga water for his daily use. They placed the copper cans before the Acharya... and after doing a pradhakshinam of the cans, Shri Mahaswamigal said,

“About a thousand years ago, Rajendra Chola, built a large and grand Shiva Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, consecrated a huge Shivalingam in the temple and caused abhishekam to be performed to that Brahadheeswara Lingam with water brought from the Ganga... Carry some of these cans to Gangaikonda Cholapuram and perform abhishekam to the Brahadheeswara in the temple there. Only after that, I shall use the Ganga water that you have brought for my sake."

Shri Mahaswamigal and Shri Mettur Swamigal

The orders were carried out and after Shri Brahadheeswara was done abhishekam with Ganga water, Shri Mettur Swamigal was blessed to do abhishekam with Ganga water to Shri Mahaswamigal. Few months later His Holiness asked Shri Mettur Swamigal to perform annabhishekam (bathing the image of the deity with cooked raw rice) to Brahadheeswara, the huge lingam in the temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, adding that there will be sumptuous rain in the land because of the performance of that annabhishekam.

Lord Brahadeeswara's chosen one 

This celebration which began in 1986, on a small scale, grew into a grand festival in subsequent years attracting thousands of people in the area and around.

Sri Brahadeeswarar temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram had 550 acres of fertile agricultural land but not even a single grain of rice was given to the temple by those incharge for nithya pooja/neivedhyam to the lord. Briefing this to Sri Mettur swamigal, Sri Vedaranya Gurukkal, an old vaidik practicing strict achara asked if something can be done in this regard. Swamigal directed him to write a letter detailing the facts to Sri Mahaswamigal. Upon receipt of the letter, Sri Mahaswamigal asked Sri Mettur Swamigal to read it and assigned Him to take the divine service of conducting Annabhishekam at the temple.

Shri Mettur Swamigal

Without adequate manpower, but with the help of Sri Vanchi Thatha and Sri Rayar of Nanganallur Vishwaroopa Anjaneyar temple, initially 19 bags of rice was cooked in 42 huge brass vessels from 2.15 am and continued till 5 pm. In the subsequent years up to 26 bags of rice was cooked using boilers sourced from Thiruchirapalli with the help of Sri Thyagu (fruit market) and Sri Bombay Krishnamurthy. With great difficulty Shri Mettur Swamigal sourced Iluppai (Mahua) oil from Thiruvidaimaruthur for Sri Brahadeeswara. Two hundred set of vasthrams (dhotis and sarees) were offered to honor vedic pundits and their family, archeological department officials. Local atheists even stole some of these vasthrams to derail the project. 

Shri Mettur Swamigal continued the annual annabhishekam for few more years before handing it over to the committee.  The committee-in-charge of the celebration has also been providing the necessary materials of daily worship in the temple.

The grandeur of Annabhishekam

Nowhere is annabhishekam done in such grandeur as in Gangaikondacholapuram. The size of the ritual is due to the massive stone temple and it’s huge Shivalingam, built in 1020 CE by the King Rajendra Chola I.

The celebration here is a two-day affair. On the first day a complete Agamic mahabhishekam is done. All the smaller Deities in the temple corridors are washed and decorated with new clothes and sacred sandalwood, holy ash and kumkum. For Shiva, the main Deity, a traditional abhishekam (bathing) is performed with the full spectrum of offerings prescribed by our scriptures: water with sandalwood paste, turmeric water, milk, orange juice, honey, coconut, yogurt, water and sacred ash - all mixed and stored in separate, huge containers. About fifteen vidyarthis, students of Vedas, stand atop scaffolding to reach the top of the massive Shivalingam, pouring over it the various mixtures while chanting “Sri Rudram.” At the end of the abhishekam, the Lord is decorated with giant flower garlands.

On the second day, volunteers are given yellow scarves to stand apart from hoards of people pouring in from nearby towns and villages. Police, barricades, a medical pavilion, a PA system broadcasting the Tirumurai songs on Lord Shiva, are all in place from the break of dawn. About fifty bags (each weighing 75-100 kilograms) of top quality rice are cooked in four large vessels, powered by a massive wood stove. Shovels are used to spread out the cook rice on the floor to cool before being transferred into bamboo baskets. Some 50-60 volunteers form a line from the kitchen, up the steep stairway, all the way to the sanctum. Chanting the praise of Shiva, “Om Namah Shivaya, Hara Hara Shankara,” fills the air as the baskets of rice are passed hand-to-hand in a swift and constant motion.

From 9am, throughout the day, the Vedic students chant “Sri Rudram” continuously during the annabishekam until the event slowly grinds to a halt at around 5pm. Steel mesh around the Deity holds the grain intact as the normally dark, black granite stone is transformed into a pure white Shivalingam. An assortment of vegetables decorate the top, and the final offering of light is performed with fervor running high among the gathered devotees.

As the sun descends across the western horizon, a golden glow illuminates the tall temple tower, and a sea of humanity waits in line to take home the rice as prasadam. All of God Shiva’s creations, people including poor villagers, plants and animals down to critters are fed with this prasadam, not letting a single grain go to waste.

The cost involved for this two-day ritual is raised through donations. Apart from cash, people also offer rice, often by the bag.

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கோடி சிவ தரிசன பலன் தரும் அன்னாபிஷேகம்

HH Shri Mettur Swamigal