Aghoris welcome Navarathri with special yagam

The Aghora Kali Amman temple is situated on the banks of Uyyankondan river at Ariyamangalam. Sources said that Aghori Manikandan (38) has been maintaining the temple and six months back, an idol of Ashta Kala Bairavar was installed and consecrated at the shrine. Special pooja and yagams are routine rituals in the temple during New Moon, Full Moon nights and throughout Navarathri days.

As the annual Navarathri commenced on Wednesday, aghoris planned in advance to perform a mega pooja late in the night on the first day to welcome the festival.

The idol of Kali was anointed with sandal paste (sandana kaappu) and worshipped with arathi. At the stroke of midnight, aghori Manikandan along with his group performed yagam and chanted mantras loudly. They also blew the conch in high decibel during the yagam, sources said.

Later, a special pooja and abishekam with water brought from the Ganga was poured on the deity. The rituals went on till 3 am on Thursday.

Such rituals would be held on all the nine nights each day and water from one holy river would be used for abishekam.