Poolangi Seva
Tomala Seva which takes place every Thursday in the evening is called Poolangi Seva (Garlanding Service). This takes place completely in solitude. Priests adorn the main deity from head to foot with the flowers brought by the Jiyyangars. The Lord appears as though he has worn a flower dress.
The visitors are enraptured by the sight of the Lord in Poolangi Seva emitting fragrance. The sight, it is said, burns all your sins and scents of the past lives.
Thursday Poolangi Seva
After the mid-day puja on Thursday, the Lord is dressed only in dhoti and uttariyam. The Kasturi is also removed leaving only a thin mark. In the evening after suddhi is performed, the flowers are brought for decorating the murti. The body of the Lord is now dressed in an ordinary dovati.
This process is called sadalimpu or sallimpu which means lossening or removing.
After evening puja and naivedyam offering of panakam and split green· gram, a laced velvet gown is put on the Lord and the body is decorated fully with garlands of flowers extending from the crown to the feet. This decoration exclusively with flowers is called ‘Poolangi seva.’
After this is over the Ekanta seva takes place following the usual routine. It is not known from the epigraphs as to when and why this arrangement was first introduced. There is a reference in Silappadikaram, the early Tamil classic to ‘puvadaiyil polindu tonriya.’
The Tamil word ‘Puvadai’ is a translation of the Telugu word ‘Pulangi’ and hence we can ascertain that by about the 8th century this Pulangi seva was in vogue. Perhaps the reason for this is purely a pragmatic one namely the difficulty of having to remove the clothing ornaments etc., on the Lord on Friday before the elaborate Abhishekam is done.
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