Madurai comes alive during Chithirai festival

The Hindu

05-05-2025

Madurai, an ancient city, is known for temples, jasmine flowers, shops that open around the clock, three Tamil sangams, etc., but do you know that this city is also well known for one of the longest celebrated festivals - 'Chithirai Thiruvizha'? Some say that organised celebration may have begun 700 years ago. This 15-day festival takes place every year in May and it coincides with the vacation time thus making it more vibrant.
This year, the Chithirai festival began on April 30th and will last for 15 days.
A variety of events take place every day during this period. The procession of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar through the Masi streets attracts crowds of all ages, especially children, who come dressed in beautiful attire to enjoy the festival. Many vendors station themselves along these streets to sell toys, candy, and balloons. The city glows with colourful lights, and as the sun dips, the streets around the Meenakshi Amman temple bustle with devotees.
People from faraway places came along with their relatives, friends, and neighbours, to witness the procession of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar. To ensure a pleasant experience for everyone, vehicles are prohibited from entering these areas during the procession. Regardless of the weather, people eagerly gather to enjoy the festival, which reflects their deep admiration for Goddess Meenakshi and also energises the festival. Many children can be seen dressed up as Lord Murugan, Lord Shiva, Lord Karuppasamy, and Goddess Meenakshi. Some babies dressed as deities and carried on their fathers' shoulders can be seen bobbing up and down in the sea of humanity enhancing the event's beauty.
During the divine procession, traditional arts, such as karagattam, kollattam, silambattam and oyilattam, are performed. These performances express the people's interest and respect for their culture. The highlight of the procession is the clarion call made from an ancient musical instrument called the kombu, which evokes strong emotions among devotees. The blowing of the conch shell, considered an auspicious sound in temples, adds to the festival's sacred atmosphere.
Festivals are incomplete without elephants. A caparisoned Parvati, the female elephant, at the Meenakshi Amman Temple, is part of the procession and delights the devotees with her presence. Sivanadiyargal, followers of Lord Shiva, lead the way singing the ancient Tamil poem called Thevaram, composed by Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, and Sundarar, the three renowned Shaivaite saints. The procession culminates with Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Meenakshi, who arrive in a palanquin and shower blessings on their devotees.
Deiva Abirami