TIRUCHY: The rising mercury levels didn’t deter pilgrims, by the thousands, to traverse the Tiruchy - Chennai NH barefoot and offer potful of flowers to the main deity at Arulmigu Mariamman temple in Samayapuram as part of the annual Poochorithal festival that kicked off on Sunday. The crowd swelled later in the evening hours for officials to claim it to be “exceptionally larger” than previous years.
During the 28-day long festival, it is believed that the main deity of the temple herself will be in fasting ('pachai pattini viratham'), and so fluids like buttermilk, sugarcane juice and coconut water will only be used for abhishekam. Also, during every Sunday of the period, devotees would offer tonnes of flowers to the deity and take darshan.
Accordingly, the first batch of flowers for the deity was offered by the temple management during the early morning hours on Sunday. A minimum of two tonnes of flowers are expected to be offered till Monday. They are collected and being sent to the temple's micro compost yard for bio-fertiliser production.
C Kalyani, the Joint Commissioner of Samayapuram temple, told TNIE, "About 40 HR&CE personnel have been deputed within the temple to manage the crowd. We have made special arrangements in and around the temple for devotees. As they are continuously arriving with flowers for the deity, they were allowed to take darshan without standing in queue. Though the risk from the pandemic is lower, we have made special arrangements like checking body temperature, disinfecting the premises, and providing hand wash facilities at the temple."
Mentioning the footfall to be “exceptionally” higher, she said that it is likely to be an average of two lakh.
Police sources said that about 1,100 police personnel have been deputed at Samayapuram to maintain law and order during the festival. Temporary police outposts have been opened in Samayapuram.
Saraswathi, a devotee from Thiruvanaikovil, said, "Usually during the festival we would visit the temple on Sunday to offer flowers to the deity. However, owing to the pandemic lockdown in 2020 the festival was celebrated behind closed doors, as people were barred entry.” Though the festival took place in 2021, restrictions were placed and people were barred from participating in the festival from the third week. We hope at least this year the festival goes on till the end without any hurdles, she added.