MAYILADUTHURAI: Closing a years-long gap brought in by the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of pilgrims from across the State walked barefoot to Vaitheeswarankoil over the past two days to take part in the annual Nagarathar festival at Shri Vaithiyanathaswamy temple in the district.
People from the Nagarathar community came from places such as Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruchy, and Ramanathapuram districts to worship their 'clan deity', goddess Thaiyyalnayagi, at the temple. Several pilgrims said they started on foot as early as two weeks ago to reach Vaitheeswarankoil. Thandapani, one such pilgrim from Karaikudi, said, "We have come to offer prayers this year after missing it for the past two years. We are glad to take part in the festival after overcoming Covid. We would like more
buses from Vaitheeswarankoil as many who come on foot would like to return via public transportation.”
TNSTC had arranged around 250 buses for them to return to their native places. The devotees had also requested special trains for the festival. To this, an official from Southern Railway said, "Although there could not be special trains arranged for the pilgrims, stoppage was given for a couple of trains - Varanasi to Rameswaram, and Chennai to Rameswaram from Vaitheeswarankoil Railway Station on Tuesday -- as per the directions of the divisional railway manager in Tiruchy. The passengers who were heading to southern districts were allowed to board at the station."
Over a thousand police personnel were deployed in and around the temple over the past two days in view of the festival.