Thousands of devotees witnessed car festival and took part in the flower offering ceremony that marked the beginning of the month-long Masi festival of Sri Kottai Mariamman Temple here on Friday.
Devotees, who thronged the four rath streets and the Palani Main Road, offered a large quantity of flowers to the goddess. The ceremony began with special pujas and abishekam to the presiding deity.
Later, goddess Mariamman ascended a florally-decorated car. Two elephants led the procession. Vinayagar idol was in the first car followed by Lord Krishna. The main temple car was decorated with multi-coloured flowers.
The car procession started from the temple premises near the Rock Fort and returned to the temple after passing through West Car Street, Vanivilasmedu, Palani Main Road, Gopala Samudhram Street, and North, East and South car streets. The temple authorities had provided three lorries to collect the flowers offered by the devotees. These flowers would be used for dawn-to-dusk puja to the main deity.
Sufficient force was deployed at vantage points and along the car procession route to regulate the crowd and provide security to the devotees.
Various organisations and auto and taxi operators’ associations had erected shelters and distributed water, buttermilk and food to devotees.
Palani Main Road, Chatram Road and North Car Street were closed to traffic for more than four hours and buses coming from and proceeding to Palani, Coimbatore, Salem and Karur districts were diverted through R.M. Colony Main Road. Small vehicles were allowed to use Palani Main Road after 2.30 p.m. Adequate facilities have been provided at the temple for the convenience of the devotees. Cultural programmes were also arranged on the temple campus during the festival days.
Natham
The Masi festival of Mariamman Temple in Natham will commence on February 27. Car festival will be held on March 3, Kazhumaram event on March 14.
