THE MONTH OF AVANI

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It is clear that at any rate from 1464 A.D. the festival came to becelebrated.

It assumes a thoroughly vedic character. Excluding the day ofAnkurarpanam, or

the sowing of the nine kinds of seeds or Navadhanyam, onthe night of Sukla

Dasami in Avani month, the festival lasted for five days.The fifth day was on

Avani Paurnimi (Sravana Paurnimi) a day which is sacredfor the twice born.

Others also observe the day or the preceding Dvadasi asRaksha bandhanam Day. On

this day the members of the twice born castesusually wear a new yagno-pavit®am

or sacred thread; and commence therecitation of the Vedas in due form with

homam. On the Ekadasi day theUtsava Murti is placed in the Tirumamani Mantapam.

On the Dvadasi day, He isinvested with the Tiruppavitram (garlands of yarn

around the head, the neckand the wrist) and taken in procession through the

streets along with theNachchimars. The Sukla Dvadasi day in the month of Avani

has always beenknown as the day of "Vishnu Pavitraropanam". He is invested

withYagnopavitram also on that day. The cotton used for those is that

fromplants grown on unpolluted soil specially reserved in the backyard of

everyhouse along with that reserved for the cultivation of Tulasi. The yarn

isusually spun by Brahmins with taklis. The articles required for the

festivaland their cost in panams are stated in the inscription. The Soma

Kumbham(water pot), the Pratima (small image of deity) and Yagnopavitram

forMalaikuniyaninra Perumal cost 103 panams. The ornaments for the hands

andears (hasta matra and karna matra) of the Acharya who officiates cost

10panams, Dakshina (money gifts), pasu danam (gift of cow) and Svarna

danam(gold gift) cost 12 panams; the bedding made of five materials

(panchaSayanam) namely, Ratnakambali (woollen carpet), Mettai (soft padded

cottonbed), Mayiliraku (pea-cock feathers), Krishnajinam (deer skin)

andpattuchchelai (silk sheet) cost 40 panams. The Bhattars reading the

Puranasand the people chanting the Vedic texts were paid 5 panams each

ashonorarium and 10 panams in Dakshina. Twenty palams of silk thread and

twohundred palams of white cotton yarn were required for the Pavitram which

wasdyed in four colours besides white. viz. black, red, green and yellow.

Thefive colours black, white, blue, red and yellow are collectively known

asMatrix among dyers. The dyers were paid 3¾ panams. The potters and theachari

who prepared the parvatham (hill) in wood and the traditionalmakara-toranam as

Prabha were paid for their work. The cost of all the abovecame to 198 4 6/3

panams. Large quantities of paddy were used for the seedsowing (Ankurarpanam)

and for spreading beneath kalasam pots. Honey, milk,curds, ghee and gingelly

seeds also play a prominent part.ref.   

http://www.tirumala.org/sapthagiri/062003/history.htm