CHENNAI: The famed Natarajar Temple in Chidambaram will be conducting Laksha Rudra Prayanam for the first time in the history of the temple. The chanting of rudra mantra 1 lakh times and do vilva archanai with one crore leaves will begin on July 28 and continue till September 15, 2016. One lakh homam rituals will be held on the last day in 9 yajna kundams and performed by 108 dikshithars.
NB Pattu Dikshithar and S Raja Somasekhara Dikshidhar of Natarajar Temple said, “It’s a custom to perform Ekadasa Rudra (chanting rudra mantra 11 times by 11 people), Maha Rudra (chanting rudra mantra 11 times by 121 people) and Athi Rudra prayanams (chanting rudra mantra 11 times by 1,331 people). But Laksha Rudra Prayanam is a first-of-its-kind and will witness prayanam for one lakh times between July 28 and September 15.”
Every day as many as 100 dikshithars will be chanting rudram for 22 times (from 9 am to noon and 5 pm to 8 pm). That is, on each day, the mantra will be chanted 2,200 times. On September 15, alone the prayanam will be performed for 1,100 times.
By the end of it, rudram would have been chanted 1.09 lakh times. The programme is expected to attract over 5,000 devotees a day. Moreover, on September 15, there would be at least a lakh devotees.