Agni nakshtram, also popularly known as kathiri veyyil in Tamilnadu, is the peak of summer in Tamilnadu and other south Indian states. For North India, peak summer extends for few more days after agni nakshatram ends.
What is Agni Nakshatram?
As per Jayasree Saranathan, a well-known researcher in astrology space, Agni nakshatram is the period durin which sun passes through 3 nakshatrams covering 7 paadams - from Bharani 3rd and 4th paadams, 4 paadams of kritthika (karthigai), 1st paadam of Rohini nakshatram.
Background:
Earth revolves around sun along with other planets in the solar system. There are bands of stars faraway from solar system. When sun is viewed from earth, sun appears with different nakshatram (star) in the background, at different time of the year. There are 27 nakshatrams that are considered to be infuencing earth. Each nakshatram is divided into 4 paadams, totalling to 108 (=27*4) paadams. These 108 paadams of 27 nakshatram are split equally and assigned to 12 raasis (raasi / raashi / zodiac) - making it 9 paadam for each raasi. Duration during which sun passes each raasi is a month. Each month spans 9 paadams.
Sun's position and the nakshatram behind are used for calculation of season and festivals. This should not be confused with the daily nakshatram we see in calendar for birth dates and other stuffs. That is based on the position of moon.
Everything in the universe is in motion, including earth, sun and stars. Stars are faraway from earth, so they appear to be still when looked from earth. As earth revolves around sun, sun appears to be moving from one nakshatram to other, as stars form the background of the sun.
The period during which sun moves across bharani nakshatram's 3rd till it crosses kritthika nakshtram is termed agni nakshtram.
The star kritthika is called the agni nakshatram. Since sun crosses kritthika during that period, the period is called agni nakshatram.
What can be done during agni nakshatram:
Special abhishekams are performed during this period in temples to cool the dieties, with water cooled in pots and with tender coconut, along with regular abhishekam.
It is a practice among people to perform girivalam (giri pradhakshinam / hill circumambulation) around palani temple in Tamilnadu, during first two weeks of agni nakshatram.
What is generally not done:
People avoid performing weddings and other auspicious functions.
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