Iyer: Encyclopedia II - Iyer - Rituals Ceremonies and Festivals

Iyer - Rituals Ceremonies and Festivals

Although many rituals that were practiced in ancient times are no longer followed, some traditions are continued to this day.

Iyers are initiated into rituals at the time of Birth itself. In ancient times Iyers performed rituals when the baby was being separated from mother's umbilical cord. However, this practice is not followed in modern times. At the time of birth, a horoscope is made for the child based on the position of the stars. Then Iyers undergo the naming ceremony. This affair is important as the name given during this ceremony would be the individual's religious name, and would be used when ever prayers or ceremonies were conducted, where that individual had to be mentioned. Besides this, some families conduct homas every birthday of the individual, to invoke god's blessings. In other families prayers are performed every year on the individual's birthday. This birthday does not have to do with the child's birthdate, but it corresponds to the nakshatra, or star, corresponding to the time at which the individual is born. The child's first birthday is most important, when both Iyer boys and girls have their ears pierced. From that day onwards a girl is expected to wear earrings. The ceremony is only a formality, for the boys.

When a male child reaches his seventh birthday he is eligible for thread ceremony also known as Upanayanam. From that day on, he becomes an official member of his caste, and is called as a "twice born". In ancient times, the boy was sent to gurukula to learn vedas and scriptures. He then practiced extreme discipline during the period known as brahmacharya. He lived a celibate life, living on alms, and surviving on satvic and austere practices. The individual had to perform daily fire worship, and perform prayers without fail. Though such practices are not followed in modern times by a majority of Iyers, all Iyer boys undergoes the thread ceremony before marriage. Even today, many Iyers continue to follow the daily worship of Sun and the Goddess gayatri.This daliy worship is also known as sandhyavandanam. This worship is necessary to be performed at dawn, mid-day, and dusk. The mid-day worship is called madhyahnikam. Besides this, all twice-born Iyers need to perform annual ceremonies such as Upakarma, when they replace their sacred threads with new ones. They also recite 1008 gayatri japas on a certain day every year. This is one practice very few twice born Iyers leave out.

Iyer women have their own ceremonies such as the one at the time of attaining puberty (mostly a private family affair). They learn shlokas and devotional hymns, and regularly worship various Deities.

Then there are rituals that need to be followed at the time of an individual's marriage.

The other extremely important rituals for the Iyers are the death ceremonies. All Iyers are cremated according to vedic rites, usually within a day of the individual's death. The death rites include a 13-day ceremony, and regular tarpanam, for the ancestors. There is also a yearly shraddha, that needs to be performed. These rituals are expected to be performed only by male descendants of the deceased.

There are other rituals for different occasions like Grihapravesam (entering a new house), perfoming yagnas for the welfare of world, etc.

In traditional families any food is first offered to God as naivedhya,and then eaten. Food is not considered to be consumed before this religious offering.

Iyers celebrate different festivals where they worship God. They offer different kinds of sweets to God unique to that festival. These offerings ususally include fruits. Worship of Gods is done by reciting Sanskrit hymns and special flowers are offered to God. Some of the many festivals celebrated by Iyers are:

Deepavali - the festival of lights, commemorating the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura. The Iyers celebrate this in their unique style by waking up early in the morning and having and oil bath. The Deepavali medicine is a herbal sweet, that is believed to increase an individual's appetite for sweets. This sweet is prepared unfailingly every year. People light their houses with lamps, and burst fire crackers on this day.

Dasara/Navarathri - the nine-day festival of durga which culminates in a Saraswati Puja and then Vijayadasami. On Saraswati puja, Iyers keep the books they use, for puja. These books are removed and read on the Vijayadasami. Any other new work is also started on Vijayadasami. The sweet unique to Dasara is soondal.

Pongal/Makara Sankaranti - the yearly festival for the sun. The chakara pongal is a sweet made of rice and jaggery for this occasion. Sugarcane is also offered to God on this day.

Vinayaka Chaturthi - Birthday of Lord Ganesha. Kozhakattai (steamed rice dumpling usually with a jaggery/coconut filling) is a sweet prepared for this occasion, and is considered the favourite of Lord Ganesha.

Janmashtami - Birthday of Lord Krishna. Cheedais (deep-fried rice balls, with various spices, sometimes jaggery) are special food items prepared for this festival.

Tamil New Year- New Year according to the Tamil calendar. A neem paste is the main dish for this day.

Sivarathri - Worship day of Lord Shiva. The Lord Shiva is pleased with austerities, so no sweets are prepared. Instead, people are expected to fast the whole day, and worship Lord Shiva throughout the night. Fruits are permissible for those who cannot follow the intense devotion expected.

Karthika deepam - Day celebrating the victory of Lord Muruga over evil. Pori (sweetened puffed rice, sweetened with jaggery), is prepared on this day. The house is also lit with lamps to celebrate the victory over darkness.

Avani avittam - Upakarma day for the Iyers. On this day, Iyers change the sacred thread and recite vedas.

Iyers keep certain days for fasting. Some of the days Iyers fast are, Amavasya, Ekadasi, and Sivarathri.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Rituals Ceremonies and Festivals", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki