Chithirai festival commences with holy flag-hoisting at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

The holy flag being hoisted to mark the beginning of annual Chithirai festival at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai on Friday. | Photo Credit: G. MOORTHY

The annual Chithirai festival began with flag-hoisting at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here on Friday. 

Priests performed special pujas and deeparadhan for the deities. Musical instruments were played at the temple bedecked with colourful lights. The lights and colourful paintings at the temple transformed the temple into the festival mode. 

A priest at the temple said a ‘Vaasthu Shanti’ puja was conducted on Thursday as a prelude to the flag-hoisting event, one of the main events of the 12-day festival. 

Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Collector M.S. Sangeetha, Mayor V. Indirani Ponvasanth, temple fit person Rukmini Palanivel Rajan and devotees were present at the event. 

Security was tightened up as police officers checked the bag storage area and mobile phone lockers. Mobile phones were not allowed inside the temple complex following the ruling by Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court after a fire at the temple’s eastern wing. 

The procession of deities on Chithirai streets took place in the evening. The temple administration began booking tickets for the celestial wedding both online and at Birla Vishram near the temple. The booking will continue till April 13.