Devotees in large numbers offered flowers to Goddess Sri Mariamman and worshipped the deity at the Arulmigu Mariamman Temple at Samayapuram near here in connection with the annual ‘Poochorithal’ festival that commenced on Sunday. The festival started in the morning with ‘Vigneshwarar pooja’, ‘Punyaka vaajanam’, ‘vaasthu santhi’ and ‘anguraarpanam’.
Temple officials carried flowers in baskets and plates made of bamboo in a procession and offered them to the deity. Following this, devotees carrying flowers were allowed to offer them to the deity at the shrine. The ‘Poochorithal’ (flower sprinkling) festival is one of the important religious events at this temple. During the festival, flowers are sprinkled on the goddess at the sanctum sanctorum.
The festival marks the commencement of the holy fast (Pachai Pattini Viratham) by Goddess Mariamman starting from last Sunday of the Tamil month ‘Maasi’ to the last Sunday of the Tamil month ‘Panguni’. Devotees would offer flowers to the goddess on all the Sundays during the course of the festival. During the holy fast period, the Goddess would be offered ‘Thullu Maavu’, buttermilk, sugarcane juice and tender coconut juice instead of ‘Thaligai’.
A heavy posse of police personnel was deployed in Samayapuram town.
