Thousands of devotees reached Masi streets during the early morning of Monday to witness the grand car festival of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.
The grand car festival marks the end of the 12-day annual Chithirai festival. The procession of the vibrantly-decorated temple cars, with one carrying Lord Sundareswarar with Goddess Piriyavidai, followed by a smaller one carrying Goddess Meenakshi, began on East Masi Street around 6.30 a.m.
Before the procession, the deities were brought to Thermutti on East Masi Street where the temple cars were stationed. Special pujas were performed there.
Hundreds of youngsters drew the ‘vadam,’ the thick nylon rope, used to pull the tiered cars, which were over 300 metres long.
Many people were waiting at vantage points - terraces and balconies of houses and commercial establishments - to get a better view of the colourful procession. Chants of ‘Hara Hara Sundara Mahadeva’ filled the air during the procession.
The decorated cars with long cloth canopy ( ‘thervalai’) filled with colourful decorations such as festoons swaying in the air was a scene worth the long wait for the devotees.
Usual attractions like toy shops, temporary tattoos, eateries were all over the streets waiting for business. To beat the scorching heat, individuals and commercial establishments distributed buttermilk and water bottles to devotees along with food packets.
A huge posse of police was deployed along the procession route to ensure the smooth conduct of the event. The procession ended by noon.
According to the inscriptions on the temple walls, the first car festival was reportedly introduced in Madurai 700 years ago, during the reign of King Veerapandian.
