Hundreds of devotees from various parts of Thanjavur and neighbouring districts participated in the sacred chariot festival of the Sri Ayyarappar Swamy at Tiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district on Monday. The chariot festival is being held as part of the annual Chithirai Festival of the temple.
The Chithirai Peruvizha commenced on April 30 with the sacred flag hoisting ritual and since hen the deities were being taken in a procession daily with pallakku being featured in the mornings and vahanam purappadu in the evenings.
On the ninth day of the event, the chariot festival was held on Monday when the processional deities Sri Ayyarappar and Sri Aram Valartha Nayaki, along with the pancha murthis, taken in specially decorated temple cars around the main thoroughfares near the temple.
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On May 11, the main Saptha Sthanam festival will be held when the deities would be taken to the neighbouring seven villages followed by the ritualistic ending of the events the next day.