Kumbakonam Navagraha yagyas starting
January 4, 2007
The January yagya series that takes place in Kumbakonam each year is beginning on Sunday. First there will be two days of really big navagraha yagyas held in one of the patasalas there. As a part of the preparation for the yagya a large yantra is made. First colored cloth is laid down and then a layer of grain is placed on top. Each planet has its own color, grain, shape and position.
In spite of the blurry photo you can see the Sun in the center, to the right with the yellow cloth is Jupiter and to the left of the Sun is Mars. In the row behind the Sun the cetner position is black for Saturn. To the right is multicolored Ketu and on the left is dark blue for Rahu. In the first row the center position is Venus next to green Mercury on the right and white for the Moon on the left.
It looks great once it is all assembled with kalasa pots with coconuts on top, fresh yellow malas on top and white and colored malas in between the squares, and offerings of fruit as well.
Ready for the pujas to begin!