Keezhapazhandhai Village
Celebrated with devotion since 1936 · On the banks of the river Cheyyar
View the official invitation for the 90th year celebrations.
Nestled in typical rural surroundings of ShadAranyam or Arcot along the banks of the river Cheyyar and ~15 kms from Kalavai is the village Keezhapazhandhai. Sri Rama Navami Utsavam has been celebrated with profound devotion and most recently the 88th year celebration concluded in April 2024. The celebrations have great involvement, participation by the village residents, erstwhile Agrahara residents making it a divine event with Sampradaya Bhajans, Religious Discourses, Anna Dhanam during the annual celebrations.
Keezhapazhandhai village, with a population of approximately 2000 people, is located in the North Arcot District, about 120 kms from Chennai, 15 kms from Cheyyar (Tiruvethipuram), 50 kms from Kancheepuram. Keezhapazhandhai can be reached by road, 3 hours drive from Chennai and 1.5 hours drive from Kancheepuram. It houses Pillayar, Ramar, Shivan, Vishnu and Mari Amman temples. Temple renovation projects are expected to be taken up shortly.
It has been passed on by word of mouth that the annual Sri Ramanavami Utsavam at Keezhapazhandhai was initiated by the residents of this Agraharam. As far as recorded dates go it is estimated to have been celebrated since 1936, however it could have been much earlier to this year.
Shri Krishnaswamy Iyer father of Shri Ekambara Iyer took up the responsibility to continue this tradition with the blessings of Kanchi Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati.
Around the year 1941-1942 Shri Krishnaswamy Iyer was called to Kanchipuram by Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati.
A family which was doing pooja to Sri Rama with Panchaloha idols of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Anjaneya approached Paramacharya expressing their inability to continue their daily pooja.
Paramacharya knew that Sri Ramanavami Utsavam was conducted by 2 villages in the North Arcot district namely Keezhapazhandhai, Kettavarampalayam – he asked one of his disciples to write these 2 village names in a chit of paper and one chit was picked up which had Keezhapazhandhai on it.
Kanchi Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati blessed, instructed Shri Krishnaswamy Iyer to take Sri Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Anjaneya to the village and continue the daily pooja, Utsavam. The Anjaneya idol had crack, damage which the Acharya noticed and further advised Shri Krishnaswamy Iyer to have idol back in shape.
Then onwards, the Acharya would enquire every time about the Sri Ramanavami Utsavam celebration at Keezhapazhandhai - when Shri Krishnaswamy Iyer, Shri Ekambara Iyer visited the Kanchi Mutt to pay their respects to the Acharya.
The grand children of Shri Ekambara Iyer are continuing this annual tradition in the village as of today.
Here is a glimpse into the sacred sequence of events that has defined this celebration:
The Birth of Lord Rama
The festivities begin with Janana Utsavam, symbolizing the birth of Lord Rama. Abhishekam with Veda hymns, mantras followed by Archana, Aradhana are performed.
Devotional Procession
Unchavirthi Bhajan commences—a solemn yet joyful procession that embodies humility and devotion. Bhajan groups lead the way, moving through the village streets with traditional instruments like cymbals, mridangam.
The Melodic Praise
The sacred recital of Ashtapathi the 24 hymns, composed by Sri Jayadeva
The Divine Wedding
A highlight of the celebrations, Sita Kalyanam re-enacts the divine wedding of Lord Rama and Sita.
The Coronation of Lord Rama
Following Sita Kalyanam, the celebrations move to Pattabhishekam
The Procession of the Deities
On the penultimate day, the deities embark on a Veedhi Ula, a grand procession through the village streets. The beautifully decorated pallak carries the idols of Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Anjaneya, accompanied by Bhajans, chanting. Villagers line the streets to pay homage.
The Sacred Finale
The final day of Sri Rama Navami sees the sacred rituals of Bhagavathal Aradhanai and the Anjaneyar Utsavam. Special offerings are made to Anjaneya, the devoted servant of Lord Rama.
Glimpses of the Sri Rama Navami celebrations.
Keezhapazhandhai is located in the North Arcot region of Tamil Nadu, along the banks of the river Cheyyar.
Cheyyar (Tamil: செய்யாறு), also known as Tiruvettipuram, is a town in the Tiruvannamalai District near Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. It gets its name from the Cheyyar River.
The town contains an ancient temple called Vedapureeswarar Temple, situated on the banks of the river. According to legend, Thirugnana Sambandar, one of the four great Saivite saints, visited the temple and caused a male palm tree to flower by singing verses in Tamil.
The town was part of the North Arcot District until Tiruvannamalai district was formed. It has a sub-collector office and is the second largest town in the district, well connected to Chennai by road and approximately 30 km south of Kanchipuram.
The temple is devoted to Lord Vedapureeswarar. This is the 8th of the 32 Devara Stalams in the Thondaimandalam region of South India. Although an earlier foundation, inscriptions here are primarily from the middle and later Chola periods (11th–13th centuries). Arunagirinathar, a devotee of Lord Muruga, worshipped God in this temple.
The temple has a few unique distinctions — the Nandi, which usually faces the Shiva lingam, faces the opposite direction. One can also worship all the Pancha Bootha lingams in this temple. Devotees celebrate an annual festival with street processions spanning 10 days, called Brahmotsavam.
The district of North Arcot was split in 1989 into Tiruvannamalai-Sambuvarayar (present-day Tiruvannamalai District) and North Arcot Ambedkar (present-day Vellore District).
The name "Arcot" is said to derive from the Tamil word "Aaru Kaadu", meaning "Six Forests". The region is described in folklore as a lush area flanked by six forests in which resided a myriad of sages and seers.
The famous Palar river intersects the region, and the portion of Arcot to the north of the Palar came to be known as North Arcot. The Cheyyar river rises in the Javadi Hills, flows southwards into South Arcot, then bends east and northeast into the southern taluks of North Arcot, flowing eastward to finally join the Palar river near Walajabad.