Sea of devotees pulls Meenakshi temple cars along Masi streets

The Hindu

09-05-2025

Thousands of devotees descended on the four Masi streets in Madurai to witness the 'Therottam' (grand car festival) of Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple on the penultimate day of the annual Chithirai festival on Friday.
Ahead of the temple car procession, the deities — Goddess Meenakshi, Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Piriyavidai — were brought to the 'Thermutti' on East Masi Street, where the vibrantly decorated temple cars were stationed.
Following special pujas to the deities by the temple priests, the car procession began at 6.35 a.m. The bigger temple car carried Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Piriyavidai and the smaller car carried Goddess Meenakshi. The deities were dressed in silk attires and decked up in gold.
Thousands of volunteers pulled the 300-metre-long 'vadams' (ropes) amid chanting by devotees. While the Masi streets were chock-a-block with people, the terraces were no less crowded. People were perched on terraces and rooftops of houses and commercial establishments in order to catch a glimpse of the colourful procession. Children sitting on the shoulders of their parents to get a better view of the car procession was a common sight.
Long cloth canopies ('thervalais') filled with colourful motifs and festoons swaying in the air from the dark-brown intricately worked body of the temple cars was a sight to behold.
People had set up stalls offering 'prasadam' to the devotees at many places. Buttermilk, juices, water bottles, food packets, caps and hand fans were distributed to the devotees. People made a beeline for the stalls to receive the prasadam and parcel some for their families and friends. There was a festive look everywhere with many stalls selling traditional and fancy items attracting elders and children alike.
A large number of police personnel had been deployed along the procession route to ensure the smooth conduct of the event. Fire tenders and ambulances had been stationed along the route. Sanitary workers were on their toes and removed disposable plates, cups and water bottles that were discarded by the devotees. The workers cleared the debris in double-quick time. The car procession ended at around 1 p.m.
According to the inscriptions on the temple walls, the first car festival was held in Madurai around 700 years ago during the reign of King Veerapandian. The temple cars used presently were made by King Thirumalai Nayak around 380 years ago.