While most of the islanders are preparing to Christmas Eve with family and friends this December 31, the faithful of Narassingua Peroumal temple of St. Peter chose to organize a special celebration of 29 December 2014 to 1 January 2015, the honor of the god Vishnu.
By coincidence, the last day of the calendar year coincides with the “Vaikuntha Ekadasi,” one of the biggest annual festivals dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the protector of the universe according to Hinduism. Symbolically, the temple took advantage of this coincidence to invite the faithful from all over the island and crossed in prayer, the threshold of the new year. The festivities, which begin Sunday, December 28, will take place over four days of various ceremonies all dedicated to the same deity, with the highlight of the night from December 31 to January 1. This will be punctuated not the rhythm of firecrackers and fireworks, but by special ceremonies such as yargam – sacrificial fire – or abishegam – bath of the deity – until morning. For this special ritual that is a first in the history of the temple, five priests especially traveled from India.
If the God Vishnu is worshiped primarily in the Meeting at the “Govinden festival” held every year in the months of September and October, the feast of the “Vaikuntha Ekadasi ‘is special for believers who feel that day as more conducive to worship the god Vishnu. According to the legend, on this particular day the doors of his house were open so he could hear and grant the prayers of the faithful.