Aravan Festival also known as "Koothandavar Thiruvizha" is festival celebrated in seven places in
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
city such as
Vellalore,
Thudiyalur,
Kurichi,
Singanallur,
Annur,
Vadavalli and Kattampatti since ancient times. It is celebrated for the
Aravan, a major character in Hindu epic
Mahabarata.
Legend
According to
Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...
, the third Pandava prince
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
married
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:
Mythology
* Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions
* Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata''
* Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
princess named
Ulupi. They gave birth to a prince named
Aravan. The prince was raised by his mythological grandfather
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
by hiding the secrets about his father
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
. During the time of
Mahabharata War, his grandfather
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
revealed the identity about his father to
Aravan. Then he decided to participate in the
Mahabharata War, in the
Pandava side and win the battle. When he visited the battlefield at
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra (, ) is a city and administrative headquarter of Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is also known as Dharmakshetra ("Realm of duty ") and as the "Land of the Bhagavad Gita".
Legends
According to the Pura ...
, he was welcomed by
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...
in the disguise that he is his father
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
. In the meanwhile,
Krishna gets to understand the spectacular and amazing ability of
Aravan to win the war in a single second.
Krishna gets promise from
Aravan to sacrifice his life in the sake of winning the war considering the massive ability of
Aravan and the need of conveying a message to the world by conducting the entire war without any interference. Before the sacrifice ceremony, the Pandava prince
Aravan was married to Pongaliammal from Ayothiapattinam. Finally the sacrifice of
Aravan was done in the presence and leadership of his mythological grandfather
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
in
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra (, ) is a city and administrative headquarter of Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is also known as Dharmakshetra ("Realm of duty ") and as the "Land of the Bhagavad Gita".
Legends
According to the Pura ...
.
Annur Aravan Festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
in
Annur.
Kattampatti Aravan Festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
in Kattampatti.
Thudiyalur Aravan Festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of
Purattasi in
Thudiyalur.
Kurichi Aravan Festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of
Aiipasi in
Kurichi with the share of over fourteen communities.
Singanallur Aravan Festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of
Karthigai in
Singanallur, Neelikonampalayam and Kallimadai with the share of over eight communities. It is the largest of the seven Aravan festivals in the city. It is held in Aravan and Pongaliamman temples.
Vellalore Aravan Festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of
Margazhi in
Vellalore along the banks of
Noyyal River and in Darmaraja and Pongaliamman temples.
Vadavalli Aravan Festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of
Panguni in
Vadavalli.
References
{{Reflist
Tamil festivals
Culture of Coimbatore
Tamil culture
Hindu festivals in India