Devotees from far and near throng Meenakshi temple to witness celestial wedding

Thousands of devotees from far and near thronged Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai on Thursday to witness the grand ‘Thirukalyanam’ (celestial wedding) of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar on the 10th day of the annual Chithirai festival.

Thousands of devotees from far and near thronged Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai on Thursday to witness the grand ‘Thirukalyanam’ (celestial wedding) of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar on the 10th day of the annual Chithirai festival.

The celestial wedding, the highlight of the festival, took place at the flower-bedecked Thirukalyana Mandapam between 8.30 a.m. and 8.59 a.m.. The ‘Thirumangalyam’ was placed on Goddess Meenakshi at 8.55 a.m. amid chanting of hymns.

Lord Sundareswarar, Goddess Piriyavidai and Goddess Meenakshi were brought to the decorated dais following a procession along the Chithirai streets amid chants from the devotees. The ‘wedding guests’, Lord Subramaniaswamy, the presiding deity of Subramaniaswamy Temple at Tirupparankundram, His consort Goddess Deivanai and Lord Pavalakkanivai Perumal, arrived at the venue. The deities were dressed up in silk attires and decked up in gold.

U. Shunmuga Sundara Bhattar and V. Karthikeya Bhattar performed the holy rituals and exchanged the garlands on behalf of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar.

As the ‘Thirumangalyam’ was placed on Goddess Meenakshi, women devotees replaced their ‘Thali’ with a new one as per custom. It is believed that the ritual strengthens their marital bond. Rose water and flowers were sprinkled on the deities followed by the ‘maha deeparadhana’.

Later, the deities were taken to the old ‘Thirukkalyana Mandapam’ on the temple premises for the devotees to offer their prayers. Outside the temple on the four Chithirai streets, the devotees gathered in large numbers and watched the grand event telecast on huge LED screens. The devotees started pouring into the venue as early as 5 a.m. and stayed till the end of the event.

The devotees paid ‘moi’ outside the temple and were given a receipt and a gift bag containing a mangalsutra, vermilion powder and pictures of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar. Following the celestial wedding, the devotees headed to Sethupathi Higher Secondary School for the Thirukalyana Virundhu (marriage feast).