Tamil Nadu: Over 50,000 devotees witness celestial wedding

Madurai: The celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswarar was performed at the Meenakshi Amman temple in the presence of 15,000 devotees while over 30,000 devotees watched the events through LED TV screens on the four Chithirai streets around the temple in Madurai on Sunday.

Coinciding with the performance of ‘mangalya dharanam’ rituals, thousands of women changed their mangalsutra (thali). The devotees inside and outside the temple took part in the event with religious fervour. People started trooping into the Chithirai streets since 5 am and settled in the North and West Adi streets inside the temple premises. The Thirukalayanam stage, decorated with a variety of colourful flowers, was located in the northwest corner of the Adi streets.

The deities of Tirupparankundram temple, Lord Subramaninaswamy and Lord Pavalakkanivai Perumal were brought in palanquins to the venue first, followed by the Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar. The rituals started with Vinayakar pooja and Sankalpam by a group of Sivachairyar chanting Vedic mantras.

Two Sivachairyars were dressed up as bride and groom to symbolically perform the role of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar and they went through all the rituals of Thirukalayanam, exchanging garlands, etc. Around 8.44 am, the two Sivachairyars showed the mangal sutra three times towards the devotees before it was tied around the neck of Goddess Meenakshi performing mangalaya dharanam.

It was a visual feast for devotees as two baskets filled with flowers fitted atop the stage were tilted downwards to sprinkle flowers on the deities. This was followed by Deeparadhana rituals which lasted for 15 minutes. The VVIPs, including senior government officials, judges and politicians (along with their family members) who occupied the front seats at the venue, were presented with garlands that had adorned the deities. Many devotees, who got the opportunity to witness the celestial wedding close to the venue, took selfies.

Within 30 minutes of the completion of the celestial wedding, the Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar were taken to Thirukkalyana Mandapam where thousands of devotees, who had waited patiently since early morning in the four Chithirai streets, offered worship. Devotees came from faraway places like Rameswaram, Tirunelveli and Dindigul to wait till late afternoon in long queues in the streets to worship the deities in Thirukkalayana Mandapam.  

“It is tiring, but witnessing the Goddess Meenakshi in Thirukkalayan kolam will bring prosperity in our family,” said Pandi (35) who had come along with his wife and two children from Dindigul.

Many devotees, who returned home without worshipping the deities in Thirukkalyana Mandapam, said it was enough to visit the place to receive the blessings of the Goddess Meenakshi. For many of them changing the mangal sutras (thali) during the celestial wedding remained a top priority. Foreign tourists also joined in the celebration. “We love this colourful event,” said Mary from France.

The police closely monitored the movement of the crowd to prevent pick pocketing and chain snatching in the streets. The Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar were taken around the four Chitharai streets in a procession in the evening.