Thousands Throng to Celebrate Meenakshi Sundareswarar Celestial Wedding in Madurai

Madurai: Amid a sea of devotees filling the air with intense devotion, the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar, the highlight event of the 12-day annual Chithirai festival, was held with the tying of the divine knot amid the chanting of Vedic hymns at the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai city on Thursday.

On the 10th day of the Chithirai festival, devotees started lining up in numbers from as early as 4 am at the temple to catch a glimpse of the grand ‘Thirukalyanam' ceremony. A traditional stage decorated with several tonnes of flowers was set up at the junction of North and West Aadi streets inside the temple premises. Deities of Lord Sundareswarar, Goddess Piriyavidai, and Goddess Meenakshi were taken out in a procession around the Chithirai streets before being brought to the stage. Lord Subramaniaswamy from the Subramaniaswamy Temple at Thiruparankundram, Goddess Deivanai, and Lord Pavalakkanivai Perumal also graced the ceremony.

Goddess Meenakshi was decked majestically in a maroon-coloured silk saree, whereas Lord Sundareswarar was dressed in a white silk veshti (dhoti). Both deities were decorated with gold jewellery and flowers. Two priests enacted the celestial wedding as Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar and exchanged garlands. Amid the chanting of hymns, the wedding ceremony was held between 8:35 am and 8:59 am, with the divine knot tied at 8:53 am. Flowers were showered on the deities, and then ‘Deeparadhanai' was performed under the gaze of enthralled devotees.

As per an age-old tradition, married women devotees gathered inside and outside the temple changed their ‘thali' (sacred marriage thread) during the wedding ceremony. "I was thankfully able to witness the celestial wedding in the temple this year by getting a ticket. This is my second time. It is said that Goddess Meenakshi herself should grant the blessing to anyone to be able to witness this divine sight. We all feel extremely blessed," said N Sri Devi, a 34-year-old devotee.

LED screens were set up at 20 locations for devotees outside the temple. More than 3,000 police personnel were deployed for security arrangements in and around the temple, and barricades were set up to streamline devotees' entry and exit. There was brief tension as a newly-married couple were looking to exchange the sacred marriage thread to offer prayers outside the temple but had to do it separated from relatives amid police personnel trying to regulate a chaotic crowd. After the celestial wedding ended, thousands lined up for the delicious wedding feast. Many devotees also eagerly paid ‘moi' (offering/wedding gift) outside the temple and received a gift bag.

The temple ‘Thakkar' or ‘fit' person, S Rukmini Palanivel Rajan, Tamil Nadu Information Technology Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister P Moorthy, and other dignitaries, including people's representatives, judges, and senior officials, were present for the celestial wedding ceremony. In the evening of the same day, thousands of devotees thronged the four Masi streets to catch a glimpse of Goddess Meenakshi brought for a procession on the ‘Poo Pallakku' or floral palanquin.