Ajit Karn
On Sunday, the flag-raising ceremony of the ‘Chithirai’ festival took place at the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
Thousands of devotees attended the flag-raising ceremony at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. During the raising of the flag, the temple’s presiding deities, Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar, were carried in palanquins with Goddess Piriyavidai.
A devotee named Sasikala stated, “Today, the Chitrai festival flag-raising ceremony was conducted at the Meenakshi Amman temple. The celebration will last 12 days at the temple. During the 12 days of celebration, we all attend the temple as if it were our home.”
Ticket registration for the darshan of Sundareswarar and Meenakshi Amman’s heavenly wedding began on Saturday on the temple’s website.
According to reports, the ‘nuptial’ will occur on May 2 from 8.30 a.m. to 8.54 a.m. at the Kalyana Mandapam on North Adit Street in Madurai. To witness the’marriage’, devotees are permitted unfettered access through the south tower.
“We have been waiting since this morning to witness the festival’s flag raising. We perceive Meenakshi Amman’s celestial nuptials as if it were our own. Another devotee, Savitri, remarked, “I am delighted to witness the flag-raising ceremony.”
Meenakshi Amman’s celestial nuptials and lord Kallaghar’s entry into the Vaigai River are the central events of the Madurai ‘Chithirai’ festival.
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During the Meenakshi celestial wedding, numerous women exchange thalis (mangalsutra) and pray for the Mangalya to be strengthened. It is believed that unmarried individuals who observe or participate in the Meenakshi celestial wedding will soon marry.
