CHENNAI: The Maha Kumbabhishekam or the grand consecration ceremony of the renowned Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai will be held on September 17, with several lakh devotees expected to attend the historic event after a gap of 17 years.
Preliminary and special pujas have been underway since September 6, while the 12-year Yagasala pujas are being conducted at the specially constructed Yagasala on the temple premises.
The Yagasala rituals will continue until September 16, with regular darshan inside the sanctum restricted during this period. Devotees will be allowed entry through the outer areas.
The main ceremony will be held between 7.40 am and 8.10 am on September 17. Holy water will first be poured over the golden vimanas of Meenakshi Amman and Sundareswarar, followed by the Rajagopurams, according to a Maalaimalar report.
Extensive security arrangements have been made across Madurai, with thousands of police personnel deployed for the event. More than 200 facial recognition and CCTV cameras have been installed, while surveillance cameras have been installed on major roads. Round-the-clock control rooms have also been set up.
Temporary bus stands, special transport facilities and parking spaces for around 8,000 vehicles have been arranged at various locations. The HR&CE Department will also live-stream the ceremony, with LED screens installed at Periyar bus stand and Mattuthavani integrated bus stand.
Entry passes for the main ceremony will be issued through a lottery system to prevent overcrowding, with around 2,000 passes earmarked for the public through an online allotment system.
Basic amenities, including drinking water and temporary toilets, have been arranged for devotees.
For the first time, pipes have also been laid to provide drinking water, Tamil Nadu Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar said after inspecting the arrangements with temple officials. About 6,000 staff have been deployed for the event, he added.
With several lakh devotees expected to arrive from across Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country to attend the Maha Kumbabhishekam, the Madurai district administration has declared September 16 and 17 as local holidays to facilitate their movement, ensure safety and ease traffic.
The holidays apply to government and private schools, colleges and government offices in the district. Quarterly and semester examinations scheduled for these dates have been postponed and will begin from September 18.
To compensate, two Saturdays in October will be working days, while September 24 has also been declared a working day, the Maalaimalar report added.
(With extra inputs from PTI)