TIRUCHY: Thousands of devotees participated in a poochorithal festival at Samayapuram Mariamman Temple on Sunday.

The event was marked by a grand offering of flowers to Goddess Mariamman, symbolising prosperity and the removal of obstacles.

This year’s festival featured a flower procession with an elephant leading it. The celebration will extend for 28 days, culminating before the Chithirai car festival.

The poochorithal festival is considered the most significant of all festivals at the temple. Grand offering of flowers are made to Goddess Mariamman on the occasion. The festival began with the temple priests and management carrying the first batch of flowers to adorn the goddess in the sanctum sanctorum.

As part of the celebration, a grand flower procession was held, where an elephant was used to carry the flowers through the temple’s car streets.