Confluence of humans on the shores of Kulasekarapattinam

The air in Kulasekarapattinam is alive with sound on the day of Vijayadasami, the 10th day of Navarathiri. The beat of naiyandi melam rises above the crowd, cries echo through the night, and in that moment, the devotees are no longer themselves. Their bodies tremble, eyes glaze, and for a brief time they have become the Goddess they worship.

This is Dasara in Kulasekarapattinam, an ancient Pandya port town that transformed into a stage of devotion. The streets and temple gateways are overflowing with people who have come to witness ‘Soorasamharam’.

The temple in Kulasekarapattinam itself has a layered history. It originally belonged to Vishwakarma community, known locally as Asari, and was once referred to as Thattarkudi Amman Temple before it came under the administration of the HR&CE Department.

“For the Vishwakarma community, Navarathiri carried a special meaning. They placed their tools before the deity during Saraswathi Puja, and over time, this practice gave the festival a deeper cultural resonance,” said R. Sudhamathi, former head of Tamil Department at Govindammal Aditanar College, whose doctoral thesis focused on Mutharamman worship in Kulasekarapattinam and Kurangani.

It was this connection that allowed Dasara here to grow into a major celebration. She notes the tradition is over 50 years old, rooted in community identity as much as in devotion.

Dasara here is not the ritual-heavy celebration seen in many parts of India. It is a folk festival, rooted in oral tradition and the songs of villupattu performers. At its centre is Mutharamman, a fierce goddess worshipped as an aspect of Parvathi, whose origins are narrated through ballads and folklore. In earlier times, animals were sacrificed during her festivals, and in Kulasekarapattinam, a lamb, known as thuvala kutti or thullu mari was offered. Today, she is revered on a level equal to the Vedic deities. In Kulasai, she is worshipped as Gnanamurtheeswarar-udan-urai Mutharamman.

For the devotees, the path to this festival begins long before they reach the temple. They tie a sacred amulet, take a vow, and observe a period of strict discipline known as vratham. During this time, they abstain from alcohol and meat, living in purity until the festival begins. Some choose which deity to embody, while others take guidance from local priests. From the sixth day of Navarathiri, they begin their journey on foot, moving from one village to another. Villages like Siru Nadar Kudiyiruppu are decorated with lights, while Thandapathu assembles the entire community to welcome the devotees. Folk performances, music, and dance mark each stop along the way, making the entire region part of the pilgrimage.

On the tenth day, the climax unfolds on the sands of the Kulasekarapattinam beach. This is Soorasamharam, the reenactment of Mutharamman’s victory over Mahishasura, the demon who defied the gods. The goddess is carried in procession to the sea, where thousands gather to witness the cosmic battle brought to life. Soorasamharam, a later addition to a festival of a folk deity, marks the finale of the ten-day celebration. The crowd erupts as the demon falls and the goddess triumphs once again.

Dasara in Kulasekarapattinam is more than a festival. It is a transformation of the everyday into the divine. For ten days, devotion is not silent. It is danced, shouted, painted on the skin, and carried in the body. It is lived with every step, every cry, and every trance. In this ancient town, gods walk among the people, and the people, for a moment, become gods themselves.