While the Chithirai festival of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is currently under way in the city, officials of Sundararajaperumal Temple at Alagarkovil are gearing up for the festival.
Executive Officer of the temple T. Varadarajan said that Lord Kallazhagar would leave Alagarkoil and begin the journey towards Madurai at 7 p.m. on May 2.
“Anticipating thousands of people in the journey, we have begun to install temporary tanks to provide drinking water for devotees. For effective crowd management and security, police watchtowers are being installed in at least four vantage points near the temple,” he said. This year, the deity would visit 410 ‘mandagapadis’ from Alaragkoil to Madurai, Mr. Varadarajan said.
While the ‘ethir sevai’ of Lord Kallazhagar will be held at Moondrumavadi in the city at 6 a.m. on May 3, the grand spectacle of the deity entering the Vaigai will take place on May 4 at 6.45 a.m.
“This year, the Public Works Department is expected to release water on May 2 in the Vaigai, which ensure flow in the bed near the Albert Victor bridge where the event takes place. The weather too has been favourable with heavy rain in the city and surrounding areas during the last few days,” Mr. Varadarajan said.
Last year, a pool was created on the river bed since there was no release of water from the Vaigai dam owing to lack of sufficient storage.
The Madurai Corporation is constructing a ramp and a temporary stage near the river bed for the event.
