With just a few days to go for the Mahamaham rituals here when more than 40 lakh pilgrims from throughout the country are expected to throng the temple town, a sort of dress rehearsal was organised here on Saturday by marching the carts that would carry the deities to the Mahamaham tank and filling the tank with fresh water to fine tune the eleventh hour preparations. Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commissioner M. Veerashanmugamoni and senior department officials were present.
Additional Commissioner Kavitha and Thirumagal and Joint Commissioner Gajendran were present.
The Mahamaham rituals commence on February 13 with the ceremonial flag hoisting in Shiva temples followed the next day with similar endeavour in the Vishnu temples connected to Mahamaham.
The high point of the rituals is the teerthavari of Shiva shrine astra devars ceremonially immersed in the Mahamaham tank just after noon when lakhs of devotees too take a holy dip. Likewise the Vishnu temple teertha berars would witness the Teerthavari in the auvery.
Superintendent of Police, Thanjavur, N.M. Mayilvahanan inspected the installation of barricades in the Mahamaham tank area.
