NAGERCOIL: Thousands of devotees witnessed the annual car festival of Kottar St. Xavier’s Church here on Saturday.
The 10-day church festival that began with flag hoisting on November 24 ended with the car festival on Saturday.
Peter Remugius, Bishop of Kottar Diocese, conducted a special mass at 6 a.m. followed by a special mass for Malayalees at 8 a.m.
The car procession started around 11 a.m., and passed through Xavier Street, Asarimar Street, Kambolam Road, Railway Road, Cape Road and reached the church premises.
People thronged the church from across the district and neighbouring Tirunelveli and Kerala, and offered salt and pepper to the deity. Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the feast of St. Francis Xavier in Kottar diocese.
On account of the festival, the Church was decorated with glittering lights and the entire road from Anna Bus stand to the Church was bustling with activity with roadside shops selling eatables and consumables.
The district administration had declared a local holiday for the car festival.
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operated special buses to Kottar from across the district.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements for the festival. Traffic was diverted to facilitate smooth procession of the church car in the town for the last two days.
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