Thousands throng grand feast on Meenakshi's wedding eve

Madurai: An IT professional from Chennai has taken leave to work in a kitchen here for two days. Along with him is a professor of Arulmigu Palaniandavar College of Arts and Culture, Palani.

Both of them have come down to Madurai to help prepare food for the grand feast to be served for about one lakh devotees, as part of the celestial wedding celebrations of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar at Sethupathi Higher Secondary school from Saturday night.

The IT professional Harimanikandan (45) and professor Suresh (43) has started volunteering to serve during 'Thirukalayana Virundhu' when they had been students of the school. After witnessing the grand celestial wedding, thousands of devotees made a beeline in the school for the fest. "Meenakshi Thirukalayanam Virundhu is our family wedding. Nearly 2,500 people will spend two days in the school preparing food and serving it to devotees," said Chamundi Vivekanandan (73) founder of Pazhamudir Solai Thiruvarul Murugan Bhaktha Sabhai, which has been organising the feast on the celestial wedding-eve for 17 years now.

Hundreds of women volunteers along with their children are seen cutting vegetables in the open ground, while men are involved in cooking food in the makeshift kitchen. About 8,000-kg of vegetables supplied freely by the merchants of Paravai and Mattuthavani vegetables markets are brought in two vehicles to the school.  

Unlike other temple festivals, a 13-day long Chithra festival in Madurai is a unique one as people from all walks of life join in the celebration. "The people's participation is ten times more than we witnessed during Thaipusam festival in Malaysia," said Sasikumar (40) who came along with two friends from there to participate in the grand feast.

The three Malaysians, who have been visiting for the last three years, have contributed disposable hairnets and hand gloves for volunteers involved in serving food for devotees. "You may ask why we have come all the way from Malaysian to the festival. It is because Goddess Meenakshi fulfills all our needs," said Suresh Kannan.

A state transport bus driver Balasubramanian from Madurai has taken two days off to serve food for devotees. "I will lose Rs 3,000, my two days salary, but the Goddess has helped me in the last 20 years to take the passengers safely to their destination without a single accident," he said.