Madurai's Theppam festival ends as deities sail on decorated float

Around 1,000 police personnel and 80 fire and rescue personnel were deployed for security purpose along with the medical teams and ambulance services to handle untoward incidents.
The Theppam festival ends. (Photo| EPS/ KK Sundar)
The Theppam festival ends. (Photo| EPS/ KK Sundar)

MADURAI: As the eight-day annual Theppam festival came to an end on Saturday, thousands of devotees from in and around the district thronged the Vandiyur Mariamman Theppakulam to witness the spectacle. After 40 years water was pumped into the tank through the Panaiyur channel reaching its full level.

More than a 400 year-old-festival was introduced by King Thirumalai Nayak in 17th century. Corresponding with the birth star (Poosam) of the king, who was an ardent worshiper of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar, the Nayak king had flagged off the festival to commemorate his birth anniversary.

The preceding deities of Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple, the bronze statues of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar went on a procession from the temple and reached Teppakulam through the four Chithirai streets, East Masi street, Yanaikkal, Nelpettai and Kamarajar Salai during the wee hours of morning. The deities were later placed at the pedestal of a decorated float that was illuminated with colourful lights, flags and festoons. Following the signal, the float took a ride through the tank with colourful fire crackers lighting the sky.

Around 1,000 police personnel and 80 fire and rescue personnel were deployed for security purpose along with the medical teams and ambulance services to handle untoward incidents.

Following the directions of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, water was pumped into Theppakulam from Vaigai river through the 400-year-old Panaiyur channel after 40 long years reaching its full level of 18 feet. Speaking to TNIE, a resident of the locality L Kaleeswari (38) said, "I have been in Vandiyur for the past seven years. I have seen only the Nilai Theppam (Stagnant Float) in past three years as the water level has been down. It is enthralling to see the lights beaming on the tank with full water level.

Around 70 foreign tourists from Belgium, Germany, England, France and Israel witnessed the Theppam festival. The State Tourism Department along with Madurai Travel Club made special arrangements at Thiagarajar College for the guests to witness the spectacle. District Tourism Officer Sri Balamurugan said,

"For the first time we arranged a cultural programme for the guests. As the roads would be blocked before the onset of festival we had to reach early. However, the guests were made to sit idle for long hours. A cultural programme with traditional art forms like parai attam, silambattam, karagam and barathanatiyam were arranged at the college auditorium to keep the guests engaged."

A guest from Belgium, Monika said that she along with her three friends came exclusively to witness the Theppam festival as her guide stressed on the historical background of the festivals in the south. "We have such festivals in our country but we do not have much historical reference and importance to them," she said.

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