Thousands of people visited Thenur Mandapam on Tuesday to witness the redemption of Mandooga Maharishi from his curse on the banks of river Vaigai.
According to legend, Suthapas, a rishi, ignored Sage Dhoorvasar’s presence while bathing in Noopura Gangai atop Alagarkoil. An enraged Dhoorvasar cursed him to be a frog who would be redeemed only when Lord Kallazhagar visited the Vaigai.
Suthapas rishi, later known as Mandooga (frog) Maharishi, prayed to Lord Kallazhagar to relieve him of his curse at Thenur. The venue from Thenur was shifted to Madurai by King Tirumalai Nayak during his reign.
Lord Kallazhagar, who entered the Vaigai on Sunday, reached the Mandapam after an overnight stay at Veeraraghava Perumal Temple at Vandiyur at around 3 p.m on the Garuda vahanam. After making his rounds from Vandiyur to Anna Nagar, the deity reached Ramarayar Mandapam at 10.30 p.m. The 10 avatars of Vishnu - Matsya, Koorma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki were on display.
“The deity is dressed in pearls as ‘Muthangi Sevai’ is done each year. It is a sight to behold,” said S. Sundarrajan, a staff at Kallazhagar temple in Alagarkoil.
A total of 1,500 city police personnel were deployed for crowd control. Traffic diversions were in place in parts of Anna Nagar and Panagal road for smooth sailing of motor vehicles.
