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Every village in India is very unique and we have many unique festivals in our country.
The Nila Penn Thiruvizha where in Nila means Moon ,Penn means young girl,Thiruvizha means festival is a unique festival in is celebrated in the Vedachandur region of Dindugal district in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Its a unique festival in Tamil Nadu itself becuase it involves the worship of Moon and songs are sung for Moon God ( Nila kadavul).
This festival is celebrated in the month of Thai ( mid Jan to Mid Feb) on the pournami day when the poosam nakshatram coincides with the Pournami.
One week before the day of festival, the people of Devinayakkanapatti write chits with the names of the girls who are below the age of 12 or those girls who have not attained puberty.
Later the senior most lady of the village picks up one chit to select the girl who will worshipped as – Nila Penn(Moon girl in English) for a week .
The selected girl will be worshipped as a form of living goddess for a week just like living goddess of Nepal.
During this week time, the Nila Penn will stay in the Oor Kovil( village Temple) wherein she will be gifted new clothes and various types of nutritious foods by every family .
On the night of Thai Poosam ( Pournami day), the Nila Penn will be given a basket full of Avaram Poo ( a wild and medicinal flower) who will carry this basket of flowers on her head to the Masadi Amman temple of the village.
Avaram Poo
There the Nila Penn will first do Pushpanjali or Malar Alankaram to Masadi Amman .
Later she takes Aarthi or Karpooram for Nila ( moon ) and she lights mud lamps along the steps of the temple Pond- Kovil Kulam.
After that the people worship her and the moon god to ask for good health and prosperity in their lives by praising and singing songs of Nila Kadavul( moon God) .
Thus the festival ends on the full moon night with the lamps burning along the steps of the temple pond.
Like every year, the girl will again continue to live like a normal girl and go to school like her friends.
I heard that people will be eager to make their girl/ daughter as the Nila Penn because its a rare opportunity for that girl to be worshipped by that village as a living God for a week.
Author : Gautham Sampath