MADURAI: All four Masi streets of Madurai wore a thousand shades of revelry and tradition as the temple car procession at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple took place in a grand manner on Wednesday, the 11th day of the Chithirai festival.
People gathered on rooftops and climbed up the high-rise buildings in the area for a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the brilliant spectacle, where both the temple cars carrying the deities were seen floating amid lakhs of devotees.
The annual Chithirai car festival at the Meenakshi temple flagged off with a flag hoisting event on April 23, followed by major events, including the coronation of goddess Meenakshi as queen of Madurai, Thikvijayam ritual and the celestial wedding (Thirukalyanam) of goddess Meenakshi and lord Sundareswarar, earlier this week
The Chithirai festival will conclude at the Meenakshi temple with the Thirthavari event on May 4. Ahead of the temple car, deities Meenakshi, Sundareswarar, and Piriyavidai, adorned in traditional jewellery, were brought to the Keela Maasi street on a procession from the temple. Other deities were brought on palanquins ahead of the temple car.
Following a special pooja at the Karuppasamy temple, the temple car was taken on a procession around the four Masi streets. Official sources said that several thousands of police personnel were deputed in the area to maintain law and order on Masi streets and to prevent untoward incidents.
Notably, the city corporation also deputed hundreds of sanitation workers to the premises to keep the area clean.
Officials from the city corporation added that the sanitation workers were instructed to follow the temple car procession and immediately clean the streets as the temple car proceeded ahead. Several services organisations and people have erected small stalls alongside the Masi streets and offered refreshments and annadhanams to devotees who took part in the temple car procession.