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1)
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Wear simple, neat,
freshly washed clothes.
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2)
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Maintain humility,
reverence, attentiveness and concentration to the maximum extent
possible.
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3)
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Since the entire
temple is awash with a divine aura, do not enter the
compound dressed in unclean clothes. Nor should you litter the
ground with garbage or waste materials.
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4)
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Chanting of God’s
name and godly thoughts are useful in maintaining purity of body,
mind, emotion and speech.
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5)
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During the entire
period of worship, keep silence and think only of God. Silent
chanting of manthras, sthothras, keerthanas, etc. will be helpful in
this. Chanting the name ‘Narayana’ alone need be audible.
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6)
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First obtain darshan
and blessings of the minor deities outside before worshippinjg the
principal deities.
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7)
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Enter the temple
through the pathway on the darshan side (east). After completing
your pradakshinas, namaskarams and prayers, exit the chuttambalam
using the northern pathway. It is sinful to exit the temple
through the darshan side passage (on the eastern side).
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8)
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During their worship,
women should keep their hair firmly tied. It is not decorous to
obtain darshan or do pradakshinas with their hair undone or in
disarray. Women need not do sashtanganamaskaram (prostration
with the full body flat on the ground - the way men are expected to
do). They may pray with their knees bent under them, and head
bowed in humility.
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9)
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Do your salutations
with your head raised and turned to the north or south towards the
crest of the sreekovil and the carrier atop the flagmast.
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10)
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After completing your
worship, sit down calmy and quietly for a few minutes on the raised
platform around the gopuram or the bunyan tree.
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11)
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Do not prostrate on
the sopanam steps of the sreekovil.
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12)
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The Thanthri and the
Melsanthi alone are eligible to use the namaskaramandapam, and
perform namaskarams on it.
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13)
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When Nivedyapooja is
in progress, devotees are not allowed to enter the Nalambalam.
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14)
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Do not worship
standing straight in front of the deity. Move a little to the
side and worship from an angle.
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15)
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Follow the
instructions of the Devaswom officials when there is a large crowd
of devotees in the temple. These officials can also be
approached for guidance on temple etiquettes and code of conduct.
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16)
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Inside the Nalambalam,
you may chant the sacred name ’Narayana’ audibly. Do not
indulge yourself in idle chat or talk aloud to fellow devotees.
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17)
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Do not enter the
temple wearing shirt, vest or lungi, or with soiled, unwashed
clothes, or in a physically impure condition.
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18)
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Do not enter the
temple compound or the Nalambalam under the influence of alcohol or
narcotic drugs.
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19)
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Always show respect to
the Thanthri and the Melsanthi.
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20)
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Accept the temple’s
theertha and prasadas (flowers, sandalwood paste, kumkum, etc.) with
reverence and take them home. Do not throw them away
carelessly in the temple compound or elsewhere.
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