The temple administration has geared up to conduct the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi with Sundareswarar in a grand manner on April 27.
Arrangements are going in full swing to receive a large number of devotees for the annual Chithirai festival. After inspecting the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and presiding over a review meeting with officials, ministers R.B. Udayakumar, Sevur Ramachandran, Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao, Temple Fit Person Karumuttu T Kannan told reporters that considering the scorching summer, a shelter covering a little over one lakh square feet would be put up from East Chitirai, West Chitirai, North Adi and West Adi streets.
For the benefit of devotees witnessing the celestial wedding, a 200-tonne giant air-conditioning plant would be installed behind the stage. Apart from this, 10 air coolers would be put up at different locations of the big hall. LED televisions would be fitted in 20 locations inside and outside the temple so that the devotees caould have a better view of the proceedings, .
The temple administration would present prasadams to the visiting devotees. As many as 35,000 bags, with a small water bottle, would be distributed. In coordination with doctors at Government Rajaji Hospital, medical teams would be positioned at vantage locations to treat emergency cases. An outpatient facility would function at Birla Vishram near the temple.
Fire tenders would be stationed behind the stage and on West Chithirai Street.
Devotees can dial ‘12890’ to get details about the programmes during the Chithirai festival and deity processions. To mark this special occasion, the 1000-pillar hall would be open to public.
The police would erect 10 watch towers from Alagarkoil to the point where Lord Kallazhagar entered Vaigai river. In the city, 28 locations had been identified for erecting watch towers from which the police would monitor crowd movement. The police had identified designated spots for distributing prasadam to devotees.
As many as 435 mandahapadis would receive the Lord Kallazhagar between Alagarkoil and Madurai. The temple administration had renovated Thenur Mandapam at a cost of₹ 41 lakh as it required repairs.
Chithirai exhibition
The annual 45-day Chithirai exhibition will begin at Tamukkam Ground here on Saturday.
The exhibition will be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
