Numerous small makeshift shops had sprung up along the otherwise-sleepy streets of Vaithkuppam and Akkasamy Madam Koil Street by Saturday evening. Some of these shops had toys, clay pots and balloons for sale while a few stalls were put up to serve buttermilk and food to thousands of devotees arriving at the Vaithikuppam coast on Sunday.
It was the auspicious day of ‘Masi Magam’ when ‘utsava’ deities from more than 100 temples in Puducherry and neighbouring districts of Cuddalore and Villupuram are brought to Vaithikuppam for the annual ‘Theerthavari’ ceremony.
Obeisance to forefathers
Hundreds of devotees streamed into the coast to watch the idols being brought in a procession through the main thoroughfares and were taken to the shore for ‘Theerthavari’ ceremony.
Devotees took a dip in the sea to pay obeisance to their forefathers and offered ‘tharpanam.’
Prominent deities
Mailam Murugan, Poyyamozhi Vinayakar from Tivanur, Senji Ranganathar, Tindivanam Nalliyakodan Nagar Srinivasa Perumal, Vanur Rayaputupakkam Alagammai Sameda Arasaneswar Swamigal, Lawspet Subramaniar, Angala Parameswari on Chinna Subburaya Pillai, Manakula Vinayakar, Varadaraja Perumal, Mudaliyarpettai Vanniyaperumal and Kettakuppam Pachaivazhiamman were some of the prominent ‘utsava’ deities that were taken on procession to the Vaithikuppam coast.
Similar festival was observed in Tirukanchi in Villianur as well.
Shanti, a devotee from Villianur, said she has been visiting Vaithikuppam with her family every year for the past 10 years on the day of ‘Masi Magam.’“This annual festival takes place on the full moon day in the Tamil month of ‘Masi’ which falls between February and March. Many devotees come here to take holy dip and watch the idols brought from different temples in procession,” she said. After ‘Theerthavari’, people offer special ‘pooja’ and ‘aradhana’ on the shore, she added.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements in view of the festival. There were five rescue boats, fire engines and ambulance services deployed to attend to any emergency. In addition to this, CCTV cameras were also installed to monitor the law and order situation.
