The ‘Pattabhishekam’ or coronation ceremony of Goddess Meenakshi was performed at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple on the eighth day of the annual Chithirai festival here on Tuesday.
The ceremony began at 7.36 p.m. with the customary pujas followed by an ‘abishekam’ to the diamond crown. Called the ‘Rayar’ crown, it is believed to have been donated by Appaji Rayar, a minister in the court of King Krishna Devarayar. A ‘deeparadhana’ was also performed.
Parivattam
The thakkar (fit person) of the temple, Karumuttu T. Kannan, received the ‘Parivattam’ or respects originally accorded to King Thirumalai Nayak from the bhattars of the temple during the coronation ceremony.
After receiving the golden sceptre from the temple priest, Mr. Kannan took it around the ‘praharam’ of the Swami Sannidhi and placed it next to the deity to mark the transfer of power from Lord Sundareswarar to Goddess Meenakshi who will rule the city till the Tamil month of Aavani.
The ‘Pattabhishekam’ at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is performed twice a year during the months of ‘Chithirai’ and ‘Aavani’.
During the month of Aavani, the power would be transferred to Lord Sundareswarar in a coronation ceremony.
Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa and Joint Commissioner of the HR and CE Department and Executive Officer of the Meenakshi Temple N. Natarajan were among those who were present during the ceremony.
Thousands of devotees thronged the Masi streets to catch a glimpse of the deities who were brought out in a ‘Velli Simhasanam’ procession at 9 p.m.
