Hundreds of devotees pulled the temple car at Sri Athmanathaswamy temple at Avudaiyarkovil near Aranthangi, marking the ‘Ani tirumanjanam’ festival on Monday.
The processional idol of Sri Manickavasagar was brought to the temple car at about 7 a.m. where special puja was performed to the deity. Amidst religious fervour, the devotees pulled the car through the four car streets all around the temple.
As a precautionary measure, a large number of spare wooden logs were brought by a vehicle behind the temple car for locking the movement of wheels in case of any emergency. The festival commenced on June 14 and the car festival marks the ninth day celebrations. The ‘upadesa kakshi’ marking Lord Siva’s blessing to the saint-poet will be held today.
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This is one of the two annual festivals when the processional idol of Sri Manickavasagar, who built the temple, is brought out. The celebrations are on the lines of the Chidambaram temple where the processional cum presiding deity of Lord Nataraja is brought on these two occasions every year.