Famous Chithirai festival begins in Madurai
Posted on: 02/May/2014 10:27:37 AM
On Thursday, the famous Chithirai festival began with the traditional flag hoisting ceremony at Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple at Madurai on Thursday. Presiding deities Meenakshi and Sundareswarar were brought in a silver palanquin and the temple flag was hoisted at 10.36 a.m. after a special puja. Hundreds of devotees witnessed the ceremony.
Later the deities were taken in a procession around the Masi Streets at 7 p.m. in a fully decked ‘Sarpa varutcham Vaahanam’ and ‘Simha Vaahanam.’ Temple officials said the deities would be taken in a procession every day of the festival in different ‘vaahanas’ which would be uniquely decorated.
The highlights of the festival begin from May 8 with the Pattabhishekam of Goddess Meenakshi.
The following day, the deity would make ‘Dhik Vijayam’ and the celestial wedding has been scheduled to take place on May 10.
