Parched well delays Pournami abhishekam at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

TIRUCHY: The Pournami abhishekam at the Bragadeeshwarar temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram was halted after the Singa Muga Kinaru (Lion well) dried up on Saturday.

As a tradition, the water from Singa Muga Kinaru, located on the temple premises at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, has been used for abhishekams for Bragadeeshwarar in the mornings and evenings.

The well had dried up due to drought conditions in recent days. Following this, the temple priest Thyagarajan had fetched water from the nearby water source maintained by the ASI. However, on Saturday, the priest could not fetch water from the nearby source.

Eventually, the Pournami abhishekam scheduled in the evening was delayed. While the devotees were waiting, the priest managed to fetch a limited quantity of water from the neighbourhood and performed rituals. “Usually, the Pournami abhishekam is held with 14 varieties of perfumes. Because the HR&CE department had stopped the funds, the abhishekam was performed only with water, milk and curd. We have been repeatedly requesting the department to allocate funds for the rituals, but often it goes unheard," said the Thiyarajan Gurukkal.

He also said that the department is yet to release the salary of Rs 6,000 per month for the past four months.