Car festival attracts a large number of devotees

Devotees drawing the car of Rockfort Thayumanavar Swamy temple in Tiruchi on Friday. | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy

A large number of devotees drew the car of Rockfort Thayumanaswamy Temple here on the occasion of the Chithirai car festival on Friday. 

Two decorated temple cars - one for Sri ‘Somaskandar’ (Sri Thayumanaswamy and Ambal) and another car for ‘Ambal’ Sri Mattuvarkuzhalammai - were drawn by devotees in the morning after completion of puja and rituals. 

The decorated temple cars, drawn from Keezha Andar Veedhi, went via Chinnakadai Street, NSB Road, Nandhi Koil Street and North Andar Street before returning to the starting point. 

The festival began on May 5 with flag hoisting on May 5. The procession of Swami and Ambal on different ‘vaganams’ were held daily. The highlight of the annual event was the car festival which was held on the ninth day. 

Power supply was suspended in the areas where the temple cars were drawn as a precautionary measure. The Chithirai car festival concludes on May 18.

Chithirai car festival was also held on Friday at Sri Neelivaneswarar Temple at Thiruppainjeeli near Manachanallur.