After two consecutive years of a dry float festival at the Teppakulam, the annual event organised by Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple will regain its glory this year as the 22-acre temple tank now has over three feet of water and is getting ready to host the festival on February 3.
The festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the Tamil month of ‘Thai’ when the presiding deities, Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar are taken around the tank on a brightly decorated float.
“Ahead of the festival, the Corporation is pumping water into the tank through 10 hp motors. Simultaneously, we too are drawing water from a well on the Vaigai riverbed using 5 hp motors,” said N. Natarajan, Joint Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department and Executive Officer of the temple. “The float will go around the central mandapam twice in the morning and once in the evening on the day of the festival,” he added. Work on building the float has begun at the Teppakulam and temple officials said that it would be completed soon and grandly decorated.“The central mandapam too was recently renovated at a cost of over Rs 60 lakh and a few finishing touches by way of painting and sprucing up the premises are given ahead of the festival,” Mr Natarajan said.
In October, the temple authorities had taken steps to pump water into the tank from the Vaigai following copious release of water from Vaigai dam and the rains during October and November aided in keeping the water level at over six feet.
Boating services, which remained suspended for the last two years owing to the dry tank, resumed in December and pedal boats are available now for the public to take joy rides.
