Navarathri celebrations in the neighbourhood

Here is a listing of religious and cultural events to be held at temples and at various venues in the neighbourhood for Navarathri this year.

AT TEMPLES

– Navarathri will be celebrated at Sri Kapali Temple, Mylapore from Sept. 29 to Oct. 8. Kamadhenu, Saraswathi, Naga, Raja Rajeswari and several other alankarams will be adorned by the goddess in the evening everyday.
– At Sri Karaneeswarar Temple, Mylapore, Sri Porkodi Amman will be taken to the kolu mandapam in the temple on the first day (Sept.29) in the Anna vahanam. Special alankarams will continue till Oct. 8.

– At Sri Velleeswarar Temple, Mylapore, a kolu will be kept at the temple premises. Abhishekams will be held for the deity in the morning everyday. The goddess will adorn a special alankaram in the evening. On, Vijayadashami (Oct. 8), parvettu vizha will be held for the deities on the kuthirai vahanam. A veedi purappadu will follow.

– At Sri Vedanta Desikar Temple, Mylapore, Thayar will adorn a special alankaram everyday. An ula purappadu will be held in the evening on all days.
-At Sri Adi Kesava Perumal Temple, Mylapore, a thirumanjanam will be held for the deity everyday in the morning. In the evening, after a special arati, an ula purappadu will be held for the goddess.

• At Sri Ayyapa Temple in MRC Nagar, R. A. Puram a Navarathri kolu is to be set up and opened on Sept.29 and the display will go on till the end of the festival.

BY COMMUNITY

– Sri Durga Puja, Sri Lakshmi Puja and Sri Kali Puja will be held at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore from Oct. 4 to 8. There will be poojas, talks, kumkum and pushpa archanai and arati everyday.

– At Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, the Navarathri celebrations under Smt. Saroja Parasaran Memorial Endowment Series will be inaugurated by Mohan Parasaran, senior advocate, supreme court lawyer and former solicitor general of India, on Sept. 29. Prabha Sridevan, retired judge, Madras High Court presides. M. Murali, honorary secretary, Bhavan’s Chennai Kendra felicitates. The fest, which is on till Oct. 8, will feature vocal and instrumental concerts and Harikatha. There will also be a special exhibition on Mahaperiyava padukas and Kanchi peedathipathis. Open to all.

– The members of the Alwarpet branch of Brahma Kumaris are organising a ‘Navarathri Maha Utsav’ from Sept. 28 to Oct. 7. There will be leadership workshops for students, a kolu in various themes, cultural programmes, an exhibition, a meditation camp and special programmes for women, children and seniors. 3 p.m. onwards. At Inner Space, Rajayoga Meditation Centre, 111, Dr. R. K. Salai, Mylapore.

– Spirit of the Earth, an intiative by AIM for Seva, presents ‘Morning Raga’, an open house where nine musicians will perform classical compositions. From Sept. 29 to Oct. 7. At Srinidhi Apartments, 3rd floor, 4, Desika Road, Mylapore, 10.30 a.m. onwards. Ph: 24987955, 9500082142.

– At Ramakrishna Mission Students Home, Mylapore, upanyasams and music programmes will be held in the morning and in the evening from Sept. 29 to Oct. 8. The morning programmes will be inaugurated by Swami Shukadevanandaji Maharaj, secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith on Sept. 29. The evening session will be inaugurated on the same day by Dr. Nalli Kuppuswami Chetty. Several noted artistes including vocalists Sikkil Gurucharan, Ranjani and Gayathri and Gayathri Venkatraghavan and Sikkil Mala Chandrasekar (flutist) will perform. All are welcome.

– Om Fine Arts, a part of Swatantra Foundation, is organising a special event to celebrate Navarathri on Sept. 29 at Kalyana Nagar Association, Mandavelipakkam. A nama sankeerthanam will be given by G. K. Shetty Vivekananda Vidyalaya students followed by a thematic concert on ‘Trisakthi’ by J. B. Keerthana. At 4.45 p.m. All are welcome.