7 days ago
Lakhs witness grand consecration event at Tiruchendur Subramaniya Swamy Temple
Tuticorin: Lakhs of devotees gathered in Tiruchendur to witness the consecration (Kumbabishekam) of the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which was performed early on Monday morning, after a gap of 16 years.
Elaborate religious ceremonies and tight security arrangements were in place to manage the large turnout of devotees.
The rituals began well before dawn around 2am. The ceremony was conducted between 6.15am and 650 am. The holy water was poured over the rajagopuram, shanmugha vimanam, and other temple towers by priests at 6.22am. The water was drawn from the yagasalai and carried in more than 700 silver-plated sacred pots, following a sequence of vedic procedures.
The main ceremonies were conducted in a specially constructed 8,000sqft yagasalai, where 71 homa kundams were set up.
Of these, 49 were dedicated to Lord Shanmugar, while others were assigned to Jayanthinathar, Natarajar, Perumal, and several parivara deities. Tamil Thirumurai verses were recited during the rituals instead of Sanskrit mantras.
As devotees were not allowed inside the temple during the main ritual, the ceremonies were live-streamed on 70 large LED screens installed at various locations across the town, allowing people to view the proceedings from a safe distance.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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The event also marked the culmination of a large-scale temple renovation effort launched in 2022 at a cost of 300 crore. Several structural and infrastructure improvements were completed in preparation for the kumbabishekam.
Hindu religious and charitable endowments (HR&CE) minister P K Sekar Babu and fisheries and animal husbandry minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan participated in the final stages of the ritual, including the ceremonial flag waving that signalled the conclusion of the purnahuti (fire ritual).
Former Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan was also present, along with senior officials from the HR&CE epartment and other govt departments.
Religious heads from mutts including Sringeri and Kanchi also attended the event and offered prayers. Following the conclusion of the consecration rituals, 20 drone sprayers flew over the seashore area, showering devotees with holy water as part of the final blessing ceremony.
Each drone carried 10 litres of sanctified water and completed three rounds of spraying.
A total of 6,000 police personnel were deployed, while 550 fire and rescue personnel were stationed in and around the temple with 20 fire tenders. Two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams remained on standby. The coastal zone was closely monitored, and local fishermen were engaged to assist with any potential emergencies along the shoreline.
First-aid booths and mobile medical units were set up at key points, especially along the beach where devotees were allowed to gather. To facilitate transportation, three temporary bus terminals were created on approach roads from Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, and Nagercoil. Parking facilities were arranged at 18 designated areas, accommodating more than 20,000 buses and 10,000 private vehicles.
