The Kalyanapuram Sri Srinivasa Perumal Thirukalyana Festival Committee is planning to webcast the 80th annual ‘Thirukalyanam’ to be held at Kalyanapuram in February.
The move to air the annual festival as a live telecast was considered by the committee in view of the Standard Operating Procedures imposed by the governments to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to official sources.
The annual festival will commence on February 10 evening with `januvasam’ of the presiding deity of Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Kalayanapuram, located near Thiruvaiyaru followed by other events related to the celestial wedding to be solemnised at the temple from 10 a.m. on February 11.
For the next three days, the deities would be taken in a procession in the village followed by ‘Aupasana homam’ at the temple both in the morning and evening. The festival would culminate on February 15 with the conduct of ‘Seshsa homam’ and ‘Paaligai’ in the morning and a grand procession of the deities mounted in ‘Pushpaka Vimanam’ on that night.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, sources said, it was decided to allow the public to have ‘darshan’ of the deity at the temple for two hours every day between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. during the festival days while entry into the temple would be restricted to pass holders only to take part in the festival.
As usual, the ‘laksharchana’ of the deity preceding the annual ‘Thirukalyanam’ would be held on February 9, sources added.
