TIRUNELVELI: The 519th annual car procession of the Nellaiappar-Gandhimathi Ambal temple was held on Tuesday with lakhs of devotees taking turns in pulling Asia’s third-largest wooden chariot around the four mada streets.
As per tradition, members of the Scheduled Caste Devendra Kula Vellalar community from Thenpathu and Malaiyalamedu villages pushed the car using wooden poles to set the event rolling. Assembly Speaker M Appavu, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department Minister P K Sekar Babu, and MLA Abdul Wahab were among the first to pull the rope.
Later, speaking to reporters, Sekar Babu said the festival was a symbol of religious harmony. “A Christian - Speaker Appavu, a Muslim MLA Abdul Wahab, and a Hindu - myself, jointly pulled the temple chariot. It has been made possible in the government led by Chief Minister M K Stalin,” he said.
According to the minister, all the temple chariots were either restored or newly built this year. A new chariot was built for Chandikeswarar at Rs 59 lakh. The other chariots were refurbished with wooden horses and Brahma idols at a cost of Rs 43 lakh. New ropes worth Rs 6.5 lakh were also purchased, he minister explained.