Sphoorthi Theatre

June 27 , 2025 marks the grand beginning of this sacred nine-day festival in Puri, Odisha, where devotion meets spectacle in the most vibrant way imaginable. It’s the annual chariot festival of Lord Jagannath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra. The deities are taken out of the Jagannath Temple and placed on massive, ornately decorated wooden chariots. These chariots are pulled by thousands of devotees to the Gundicha Temple, believed to be their aunt’s home. A celebration of the divine voyage of the deities, the festival encourages togetherness, love, and spiritual development among those who are devoted to the deities. It comes to a close with Niladri Vijaya, who is seen dismantling the chariots, which signifies the conclusion of the holy journey and the promise of its return. The ritualistic recreation of the wooden icons of four Hindu deities (Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshana) at Jagannath Temple in Puri is known as Naba...

In the Hindu solar calendar, Vaisakha commences in mid-April across regions such as Bengal, Mithila, Nepal, and Punjab. In Tamil Nadu, this period is referred to as Vaikasi, spanning from mid-May to mid-June, and it signifies the second month of the Tamil solar calendar. The Tamil month that aligns with Vaisakha is Chithirai, spanning from mid-April to mid-May. For Sri Vasihnavas, this day marks a significant occasion of festivity, as it commemorates the Thirunakshtram of Sri Nammazhwar, signifying his birth. Nammazhwar, one of the twelve azhwars, is renowned for his numerous hymns dedicated to the devotion of Vishnu. He entered this world on the 42nd day marking the commencement of Kali Yuga, under the auspices of the Vishakam star during the month of Vaikasi. Nammazhwar is esteemed as the foremost figure within the Vaishnava tradition, recognised as the guiding leader of this spiritual community. To begin with, Alwarthirunagari holds the distinction of being the birthplace of Sri Na...