Decad: 9 Thiru-p-por-ch-chunnam Sub-title: Aaananda manolayarn (Merging of the soul in rapture) Sung at Thillai Thiru = sacred; Pon = gold; chunnam = powder. This decad, “Pounding sacred golden powder"is again a song of maidens who are engaged in pounding the sacred dust of golden hue for the bath of Civan. This decad is made up of 20 verses of four lines in Aasiriya Virutham metre. As all of them end with the words, “let us pound the golden dust or powder", the decad is called Thirupporchchunnam with the word Thiru added to it. These verses are rhythmic melodies to suit the tune of the pounding with a long wooden pestle in a large wooden mortar. They actually pound the dried rhizomes of turmeric (Curcuma longa) with other perfumery materials. Turmeric powder or paste is an auspicious material of sacred functions usually smeared during bath by the Hindu women except widows. The saint has exploited the situation as the lady-love and extols the glory of her lover, Civan in the elaborate ceremonial preparations for pounding the dust by maidens for the bath of Civan. It appears that it was a ritual. The lady-love calls upon 8 of her companions to help her in the arrangements. Seeds of paddy and grams are germinated in advance and the seedlings are to be kept in small vases as a symbol of fertility as is usual on auspicious occasions. 385
