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It was in Sanskrit and Tamil and most people had a piece of paper to read from. There was a tune to it though it was more of chanting than singing.
Showing fire lamps to the Gods This differs from day-to-day and some common food items include nuts, raisins, whole fruits or sweets. The priest moves from one individual to another and hands it to them from a silver bowl using a silver spoon. Once this is distributed, then comes the flowers. These are taken from the garland placed on the God and are given to worshipers and it signifies that it came directly from God.
Once the chanting was done, the priest lit a huge lamp with oil and camphor. This is then waved in front of the God in a circular motion and during this time, there is more chanting and prayer. Flowers are also thrown on the deity by another priest who is standing next to the one showing the lamp. Every worshiper stands on either side of the shrine and prays with folded hands. During this process, the bells are going off constantly and loudly.
Bringing the lamp to the worshipers
After the lamp is showed to the God in a circular fashion, it is kept on a plate and is brought to the worshipers. Each of them place their hand above the flame and then put their hand to the eyes and the head. Some of them even drop dollar bills and coins on the plate. If there are young kids, then the parents touch the flame and then keep their hand on the eyes and heads of the kids. The priest starts with one line and goes to each and every individual to help them get the God's blessing.
Distribution of holy water, holy food and holy kumkum
After every worshiper has touched the flame, the priest brings the next item for distribution and this is the holy water. It is contained in a silver vessel and the priest uses a silver spoon to give the holy water to every individual. Again, the priest goes from one individual to another. Each worshiper gets the holy water with both hands and drinks it. As for kids, the parents get it in their hands and feed it to their kids.
After this is given to everyone, the priest then brings the holy kumkum or red ash. It comes out of a small silver bowl and the priest extends the bowl to every worshiper. Each worshiper uses their right ring finger to take a little bit of the kumkum and place it as a dot on their forehead. Women also put it on their head besides putting it on their forehead.
Worshipers disperse
After getting these things, the worshipers disperse and this signifies the end of the prayer. A lot of them get-together in small groups to socialize for a while before heading home. Some of the them even talk to the priest to clarify any doubts or questions.
Visitors Experience
As a visitor, I felt very welcome at the place though the entire process was a bit overwhelming. Everyone was gracious enough to explain what was going on and how I should act or behave. Some of them even answered by questions as to why a particular process was done. The atmosphere is casual and the visitor is expected to be a part of the crowd and follow what others are doing.
Overall, it was a great experience for me and it provided rich insights into the prayer activity of a totally different religion and culture.
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