Thousands of devotees thronged the Pazhamudhir Cholai Murugan Temple — one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga — at Alagarkoil near here early on Sunday morning to witness ‘Kumbabhishekam’ of the temple, which was performed after nearly 12 years.
While arrangements had been made for a few devotees to sit near the ‘Kalasams’ of the temple towers, many others witnessed the proceedings near ‘Yagasala’. Pujas began in the temple at 6.30 a.m. ahead of the Kumbabhishekam.
T. Varadarajan, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Executive Officer of Sri Kallazhagar Temple, said 120 Sivachariyars took part in the Yagasala pujas.
Holy water was poured on the Kalasams on the temple tower amidst chanting of hymns at 8.05 a.m. Sprinklers had been attached to poles installed around the temple towers which sprayed water on the devotees after the Kumbabhishekam.
Renovation works have been carried out at the temple at a cost of Rs.4 crore, and the works included construction of a building for preparing temple ‘prasadam’ and a new door for the sanctum sanctorum.
A ‘Sashti’ mandapam has also been built, and it will host ‘Kandashashti Vizha’ and ‘Utsava pujas’ of the temple.
Feast for devoteesA large number of devotees queued up after the Kumbabhishekam for the ‘annadhanam’, organised by Pazhamudir Solai Thiru Murugan Bhaktha Sabhai.
According to N. Balaji, secretary of the sabhai, they expected more than 25,000 devotees for the ‘annadhanam’ after the Kumbabhishekam.
“We have also been distributing food for the devotees who have been attending the various pujas held in the temple for the five days,” he added.
