Arudhra Darshanam

Lord Shiva is told to be Primordial. The star Adhira or Thiruvathirai is assigned to Lord shiva. Shiva. Fasting on margazhi thiruvathirai is very auspicious for Lord Shiva. Women do this fasting and pooja for the welfare of their husband and family. Until my marriage I dont know how to observe this fast.

After marriage, my mother in law said they ve the custom of fasting and I ve to follow that. So I started that. We ve to get up early in the morning and eat rice with karamani (a kind of lentil) curry and then take bath before sunrise. Then fast till we finish the pooja in the night. We ve to prepare a feast with 7 kind of vegetables, 7 athirasams, 7 dosas and Thiruvadirai special KALI (paste of mashed flour). This we ve to offer god and do the pooja. The husband should eat that prasada. After husband finishes his food we should ve our food on the same plantain leaf. Next day early morning we should go to a Nataraja temple and ve Arudhra darshan.

This year, I was bit confused with the dates. In some books it was given as that the Darshan is on 23 rd decemeber and in some books it was given as 24th. So i went to a nearby temple to clear my doubts and asked the priest about the date. He has confirmed me that it was on 23rd. So I did fasting on 22nd and went to the temple on 23 morning for darshan. Again I had the same doubt because I couldnt see Nataraja in the swing at the entrance. So once again I asked him about it. He said they dont ve the Nataraja idol but I can ve the darshan at the Linga. So i did so. But I wanted to go to some other temple to see Nataraja. So again I went to a Nataraja temple which is little far away from my home. But to my dismay, there also I couldnt see Him on the swing at the entrance. When I enquired there, they said it would be on the next day :(

I ve consoled myself that whenever it is, if we offer the prayer whole heartedly The God will definitly accept it :)





Courtesy :
http://www.geocities.com/shivaperuman/aruthra.html