Tiruvanaikoil temple car draws a large crowd

Devotees pulling the car of the Arulmigu Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari temple at Tiruvanaikoil in Tiruchi on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Devotees in large numbers pulled the decorated temple cars of the ancient Arulmigu Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari temple at Tiruvanaikoil in Tiruchi on Sunday as part of the Panguni Peruvizha. 

The Panguni Peruvizha commenced at the temple on March 8 with the ‘Dwajarohanam’ (hoisting of the holy flag). As part of the car festival, the temple cars of ‘Swami’ and ‘Amman’ were decorated ahead of the event.

Amid chants of “Om Namaha Shivaya”, the ‘Swami Ther’ was at first pulled by the devotees at around 7.20 a.m. Subsequently, the ‘Amman Ther’ was pulled by devotees at around 10 a.m. The temple cars reached the same spot in the evening from where they started in the morning.  

Elaborate arrangements were made by the temple authorities in connection with the car festival. A posse of police personnel were deployed for the day-long event.