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Anna Abhishekam 2024—The word itself explains the overall ritual of offering cooked rice to Shiva linga. People celebrate Anna Abishekam on the full moon day of the Tamil lunar month of Aippasi, generally between October and November. Moreover, Anna means Rice, and Abhishekam means bathing the deity with cooked rice. So, with that, let’s look at its unique way of performing the ceremony.
Anna Abhishekam 2024 Date and Tithi
- Anna Abhishekam Date: 15th November, 2024 (Friday)
- Gulikai Kalam: 08:11 AM to 09: 26 AM
- Rahu Kalam: 10:40 AM to 11:54 AM
- Yamagandam: 02:22 PM to 03:36 PM
- Tithi Begins: 07:49 PM on 14th November, 2024
- Tithi Ends: 04:28 PM on 15th November, 2024
What is Anna Abhishekam?
The festival Anna Abhishekam 2024, also known as Shiv Abhishekam or Maha Anna Abishekam, is a two-day celebration. People mainly perform this ritual in Shiv temples, where they bathe the deity with cooked rice as a ritual of hydration ceremony.
Moreover, it is widely celebrated in South India, mainly in the Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu. Devotees dedicate the rituals of Anna Abhisekam to Lord Shiva. The Shiva Linga is covered with cooked rice and garlands made of fruits and vegetables.
Also Read: Rama Ekadashi 2024: Rituals, Significance And Puja Muhurat
Importance of Performing Anna Abishekam
In Shiv temples, devotees perform Abhishekam by bathing the Shiv Linga using milk, curd, honey, and water, which is a very common practice. However, Anna Abishekam is different because, along with all these ingredients, tons of cooked rice, vegetables, and fruits cover the Shiv Linga. Rice is the main ingredient in this ritual, symbolising wealth, abundance, prosperity, and fertility.
Additionally, the Shiv temples host the annual Anna Abhishekam ritual. This festival celebrates and thanks Lord Shiva, who protects the five elements crucial for vibrant cultivation and effective fertilisation. After the harvest season, devotees cook new rice grains on the temple premises during this festival. The ceremony expresses gratitude and thankfulness to Lord Shiva for ensuring abundant harvests.
How is the Anna Abhishekam ceremony performed?
The Shiv temples in South India follow a step-by-step process to perform the Anna Abhiskema ceremony. So, let’s see the rituals involved.
- Cleansing or hydrating the Shiv Linga: The priests of the presiding temples start the ceremony by cleaning the Shiv Linga. They perform the hydration pooja by bathing the shivling using ingredients such as milk, curd, honey, turmeric powder, sandalwood paste, coconut water, sugarcane juice, and ash (vibhuti).
- Covering the Shivling with Rice: Secondly, devotees use freshly harvested crops for cooking tons of rice and covering the shivlinga completely with white rice.
- Decorated with Fruits and Vegetables: After decorating the Shiva Lingam with garlands of fruits and boiled vegetables at the top, the devotees play the Nadaswaram, a musical instrument.
- Chanting of Sri Rudram: Once priests and devotees fully cover and decorate the shivling properly, they chant Sri Rudram while offering prayers and Aarti to Lord Shiva.
- Distribution of Naivedhyam: The priests distribute the rice offered to the Shiv lingam as Naivedhyam (Prasad) to the devotees, ensuring that not a single grain is wasted.
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Power Of Performing Anna Abhishekam: Its Benefits for Prosperity and Growth
What to expect by performing the Anna Abishekam? Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of this sacred Shiv Linga Hydration ceremony.
- The devotees dedicate the ritual to Lord Shiva, seeking his blessings for a successful harvest of crops.
- It attracts prosperity, abundance, fortune and good health to one’s life.
- The rituals of offering rice allow the farmers to support their livelihood by rewarding their hard work.
- Eating the Naivedhyam (prasad) will allow the children to sharpen their memory, enhance focus and gain clarity.
- Performing this abhishekam allows the devotees to remove obstacles and uncertain challenges in one’s life.
- Lord Shiva protects the five elements and controls the forces of nature. Therefore, it ensures the protection of crops from natural disasters and promotes their healthy growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Anna Abhishekam?
2. What are the famous temples that perform Anna Abishekam?
3. How is the ritual of Shiv Abhishekam performed?
4. What are the ingredients used for hydration ceremonies in South India?
5. What are the benefits of performing Anna Abhishekam?
6. Which mantra is chanted during the Abhishekam ceremony?
Also Read: Margashirsha Amavasya 2024: Meaning, Significance and Facts
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