Thousands of devotees witnessed the trial run of golden car, which was celebrated with religious fervour, at Sri Kottai Mariamman Temple here on Monday evening.
Aesthetically decorated goddess, adorned with stone-studded maroon silk sari, was mounted on the temple car at an auspicious time. Later, special pujas were performed.
The main deity Sri Kottai Mariamman was well decorated with a golden yellow silk sari and a precious stone-studded crown.
The holy car was pulled by the devotees along with HR&CE Minister K.R. Periakaruppan, Revenue Minister I. Periasamy, and Collector M. Vallalar on the concrete path laid around the temple. Later, the temple car reached the shed.
The ministers also inaugurated the office buildings and additional buildings for the temple.
Large number of devotees started thronging the temple since evening as the festival was scheduled to commence around 5 p.m.
But the trial run of golden temple car was started at 7.35 p.m. only as both ministers came from Chennai after the Assembly session. A handful of police personnel had a tough time in regulating a massive crowd.
The golden temple car was constructed at a cost of Rs.3 crore. The 14-foot-high golden car, made of 15 kg gold and 30 kg silver, has a Panchaloka idol of Sri Mariamman. Two horses pull the temple car. Idols of gods Murugan, Vishnu, Brahma and Dhakshinamurthy were chiselled aesthetically on the sides of the temple car.
Later, a foundation stone was laid for the construction of a massive seven-storey Rajagopuram estimated to cost Rs.80 lakh.
