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Celestial wedding keeps Madurai throbbing with religious fervour
T. Saravanan
holy knot: The Meenakshi Sundareswarar `tirukkalyanam' being performed on the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple premises in Madurai on Friday.
MADURAI:
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar `tirukkalayanam' (celestial wedding) was performed amidst chanting of Vedic hymns at the West-North Adi Street junction of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here on Wednesday.
Right from early in the morning, people thronged the venue of the ceremony in large numbers.
For the benefit of the public, entry through both the North and West Towers was permitted.
At 9.05 a.m. Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Piriyavidai followed by Goddess Meenakshi, Lord Subramaniaswamy and Pavalakanivai Perumal from Tirupparankundram arrived at the venue.
Following this, M. Chinnasamy Bhattar, one of the main priests, started performing pujas, including the `balika puja,' in which married women participated, in the presence of Ukkirapandian Bhattar. At 9.41 a.m. Lord Sundareswarar tied the nuptial knot around Goddess Meenakshi.
Manikandan Bhattar, in the groom's attire, performed the role of Lord Sundareswarar while Rajappa alias Karpoora Sundaram Bhattar, in the bride's attire, performed the role of Goddess Meenakshi. The All India Radio, Madurai, broadcast a running commentary of the event.
The Temple Board of Trustees organised a spiritual talk by R. Selvaganapathy, retired professor of Dharumapuram Adheenam College. Besides, the Pazhamuthirsolai Thiruvarul Baktha Sabha gave a grand wedding feast.
A huge posse of VIPs, including M. Chockalingam, judge, Madras High Court, D. Raajendiran, Collector, Karumuttu T. Kannan, chairman of the Board of Trustees, J.K. Tripathi, Inspector General of Police (South Zone), Vijay Kumar, Commissioner of Police, G. Santhanam, Commissioner, Town and Country Planning, D.J. Dinakkaren, Commissioner, Madurai Corporation, and P. Baskaran, Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment, were present.
The celestial wedding is the penultimate event of the annual Chithirai festival of the temple, which comes to a close with the car festival on Saturday.
Lord Kallazhagar, who has begun his journey to Madurai from Alagarkoil on Wednesday, will reach the city tomorrow. He will be received by the public on the outskirts of Madurai early in the morning.
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