MADURAI: Thousands of devotees thronged the Mangaladevi Kannagi temple along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border on the occasion of Chithra Pournami on Sunday.
Poojas were performed by poojaris from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kerala forest department officials allowed their devotees to reach the temple only after 6.30 am.
Initially the Kerala Police denied permission to Tamil devotees to prepare pongal at the temple premises but finally agreed after showing a video of last year’s pongal preparation at the temple.
Devotees who came through the Kerala forest road were checked by police with metal detectors at as many as 15 places.
K S Palanisamy, Theni district collector, Vijayarani, DRO, Praveenkumar Abhinapu, SP, Tamilselvan, Andipatti legislative assembly MLA from Tamil Nadu, took part in the festival .
Special buses from Tamil Nadu and around 500 jeeps from Kerala were plied for the devotees.