The deities are Sundareswarar and Meenakshi; in euphonic Tamil, she is also called Angayarkanni. There is a belief among the people in Madurai that without the blessings of Meenakshi, they can’t achieve success in life.
FOOTFALLS
Nearly one crore devotees visit the temple annually. On an average, 20,000 devotees visit every day. The Chitra festival is celebrated for 12 days during the Tamil month of Chitrai (April). Nearly five lakh devotees participate in this festival. This apart, every month, the temple organises festivals drawing thousands. Kalpa puja and Lakshacharna are performed daily. The annual revenue is Rs 25 crore.
CROWD MANAGEMENT
The temple authorities follow the guidelines specified in the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1956 for conducting festivals. For the Chitra festival, top officers from different government departments along with the temple management plan arrangements a month in advance. Traffic is diverted on the route the deities take. On the 10th day, the wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar is performed on the temple premises, and 40,000 are allowed to attend the ceremony. Temple staff are allowed inside only if they possess their identity cards, albeit, after a through frisking. Each of eight watch towers are manned by two policemen equipped with binoculars and public address system. With the help of 32 surveillance cameras, the entire premise is monitored round-the-clock.
FACILITIES FOR PILGRIMS
The temple has free cloak rooms in the five entrances to help devotees keep their belongings. The administration also has a battery car and wheelchair facilities to help elders and differently-abled.