Officials of two major temples – Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai, and Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Alagarkoil – have swung into action to make preparations that will ensure a green and hygienic Chithirai festival this year.
The festival, which begins with flag hoisting at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple on April 8, traditionally sees devotees swarming into the temple city in droves. But this year polling for the Lok Sabha election falls on April 18, the day when the chariots of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple will roll down the Masi streets and Lord Kallalagar of Alagarkoil will be welcomed into the city with ‘ethir sevai.’
The challenge before everyone is management of crowds on polling day.
Joint Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments and Executive Officer of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple N. Natarajan says that the temple has already begun setting up pandals with tin sheets on the four Chithirai streets to ensure that the summer heat does not have an adverse impact on the devotees. “Last year, some people complained that the existing pandals did not provide much protection. We are working to provide more shade this year,” he says.
The Joint Commissioner adds that the Engineering department is working on dismantling the temple car to give it a thorough wash using air gun and then putting it back together. This year, the temple administration has also introduced a third wheel for Goddess Meenakshi’s ‘ther’ to provide additional safety. “All the maintenance work for the temple car costs about ₹1 lakh. Apart from this, we also have to work on the decorative elements of the temple cars. This process will take a couple of days,” he says.
The administration has already begun preparations to hoist the temple flag to signal the beginning of festivities. For the celestial wedding, which falls on April 17, 2,300 devotees with ₹500 tickets and 3,200 devotees with ₹200 tickets will be allowed from various points. A total of 3,200 people who arrive on a first come, first served basis will be given free entry. Sale of tickets for the celestial wedding will begin soon.
“We are also arranging biodegradable packaging for prasadam offered to those who participate in the celestial wedding. It will be a green festival,” says a senior official of the temple.
At least 20 LED screens will be positioned around the temple to ensure a clear view of the festivities for the devotees waiting outside. The temple also plans to place air coolers around Tiruppugazh Mandapam, the venue of the wedding. The event will also be telecast live using drones.
A low turnout
At Alagarkoil, a temple official says that they are gearing up to face smaller crowds this year. “It is difficult to guess whether there will be too much crowd this year for the ‘ethir sevai’ on April 18 because people will be torn between voting and offering prayers,” he says.
Notwithstanding the dilemma, the temple administration says that it has already laid out a long set of guidelines for the 442 ‘mandagapadis’ to be visited by Lord Kallazhagar in Madurai.
Every year, a series of mobile donation boxes (hundials) stroll ahead of the deity. This year, a total of 40 hundials are being prepared to ensure a good collection. “Last year, the temple received about ₹70 lakh in the form of donations. This year, we expect it to rise to ₹1 crore,” says the official.
Deputy Commissioner, HR and CE, Alagarkoil, S. Marimuthu says that pandals will be erected at the temple and civic facilities, including drinking water and mobile toilets, will be provided.
Collector S. Natarajan says that a total of 216 mcft of water will be released by the Public Works Department well ahead of Lord Kallazhagar's entry in the Vaigai to ensure that it reaches Madurai at least eight hours in advance. He adds that the district administration has identified 33 critical spots to be monitored on election day.
In 2018, the district administration and Madurai Corporation encountered a number of problems regarding open defecation along the Vaigai. The presence of over 300 mobile toilets near the banks could still not cater to the crowd. A senior Corporation health official says that they are looking to ensure a hygienic festival this year. “We are hiring more sanitary workers on contractto ensure the streets are clean,” the official says.
S. Kannan, who has distributed milk, snacks and water during the Chithirai festival for over three years now, says that despite the clash of polling date and festival, he expects that people will display the same festive spirit as in the past. “At the end of the day, nothing comes in the way of the festival. I’m sure people will prioritise their voting based on the schedules given by the temples,” he says.
