The ‘Pattabhishekam’ (coronation ceremony) of Goddess Meenakshi was performed on the eighth day of the annual Chithirai festival at Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here on Thursday.
The ceremony began at 7.04 p.m. with the customary initial rites followed by ‘abishekam’ to the diamond crown and ‘deeparadhana.’ The diamond crown — also called ‘Rayar’ crown — that adorned the goddess is believed to have been donated by Appaji Rayar, a minister in the court of King Krishna Devarayar, and passed on to the presiding deity of the Meenakshi temple during King Thirumalai Nayak rule.
Karumuttu T. Kannan, the thakkar (fit person) of the temple, received the ‘Parivattam’ — respects originally accorded to King Thirumalai Nayak — from the bhattars of the temple during the ceremony.
After receiving the golden sceptre from the temple priest, Mr. Kannan took it around the ‘praharam’ of the Swami sannadhi and placed it next to the deity to mark the transfer of power from Lord Sundareswarar to Goddess Meenakshi who will rule the city till the Tamil month of Avani.
Since the ‘pattabhishekam’ is held twice a year, the power will be transferred to Lord Sundareswarar during a ceremony held in ‘Avani.’
Braving the rains in the evening, devotees thronged the temple to catch a glimpse of the coronation and waited to see the goddess on a silver throne brought out in a procession along the Masi streets after 8.30 p.m.
Temple trustees and authorities, including Temple Executive Officer and Joint Commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department P. Jayaraman, Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa, among other dignitaries were present.
