SIVAGANGA: It has been 17 years since the Kandadevi Swarnamoortheeswarar Temple’s car festival was last held, in 2006.
The celebration was first halted in 1998, when members of the Dalit community asserted their rights to pull the temple car. As communities locked horns, the car’s youth waned, and the covid pandemic swept the earth, the temple festival took a backseat. It was not until Friday that all communities amicably pulled the car of the temple.
The issue of Dalit rights in 1998 and the consequent law and order issues stalled the festival for the next three years. Amid similar situation, however, the festival was conducted in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The period between 2007 and 2011 witnessed several occasions because of which the festival was stalled again.
February 2012 witnessed temple consecration, but not the festival. By the time the tradition could be revived, the temple car’s youth waned. A new temple car was carved between 2015 and 2018. When the scope emerged, locals boycotted the peace meeting, and the pandemic further stalled the festival. In 2022, lack of local support put brakes to the festival yet again, until the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court asked the district to conduct the festival. A trial car festival was held on February 11.
Under the supervision of Collector Asha Ajith, IG South Zone N Kannan, DIG M Durai, SP Dongre Praveen Umesh, Sivaganga Devasthanam trustee Madhuranthagi Natchiyar, the event commenced at 6.40 am on Friday and concluded around 8 am.