In the Vidhinidukkal district, located on the hill in Reddiarchatram, stands the renowned Gopinath Swami Temple. Over the past week, the Krishna Jayanti festival has been celebrated at this temple. On September 3, the festival’s procession saw the Utsava Moorthy, Malaiyappa Swamy, travel from the hill to visit the Kadhir Narasingha Perumal Temple in the important village of Reddiarchatram.
Following this, a major event of the festival, the Valakku Maram (Pole Climbing) and Uriyadi (Pot Breaking) festival took place. The Valakku Maram event is a customary part of festival celebrations. While this event has become a form of entertainment in modern times, it was traditionally considered a display of bravery.
To prepare the pole, the bark of a 50-foot tall pakku tree is removed, and the surface is coated with a mixture of palm leaf, oil, urad dal flour, and other oils. This mixture is left to soak for seven to ten days, making the pole very slippery. A prize is tied at the top of the pole, and when participants attempt to climb it, water is poured over them to make the pole even more slippery. If someone manages to reach the top and retrieve the prize, they are regarded as a hero. Nowadays, this tradition has turned into a form of entertainment.
Previously, special prayers were conducted, and a 40-foot tall pole was prepared. Men from Vellappam Patti climbed the pole, struggling for about two hours to reach the top and remove the garland and gold ornaments. Following this, the Uriyadi festival was held, where people from Ramalingampatti dressed as Krishna and participated in the pot-breaking event.
Thousands of devotees from various regions such as Dindigul, Reddiarchatram, Kannivadi, Pannaipatti, Srirampuram and Ottanchathiram came to witness the events of pole climbing and pot breaking and to have the darshan of the festival deity, Malaiyappa Swamy. Later, prasad (food offerings) was distributed to the devotees.
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