People 'swoon' over CM Vijay in Madurai

MADURAI: It was a day of contrasts in Madurai — thousands of cheering supporters lining the streets to welcome Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on his first visit to the city after his electoral victory, while the intense heat and crush of the crowds left more than a dozen people fainting and seeking medical attention, giving cops scary moments over any Karur repeat.

From the moment Vijay landed at Madurai airport until he left the city after visiting the Gandhi Memorial Museum and the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, the mood was celebratory. But the tightly controlled arrangements, long waits in the heat and restricted media access offered a less celebratory side to the high-profile visit.

Party cadres had reportedly been kept inside barricaded areas for nearly three hours, with inadequate access to water. Around 10 people reportedly fainted during Vijay’s visit to the Rajaji Hospital and were taken for treatment by police personnel. Another four people who had gathered to see the Chief Minister reportedly fainted from the heat and were treated by medical personnel.

Yet for those who managed to catch a glimpse of Vijay, the wait seemed worthwhile.

At the Gandhi Memorial Museum, Vijay viewed artefacts, personal belongings and historical documents associated with Mahatma Gandhi. After inaugurating the renovated museum, refurbished at a cost of Rs 10.25 crore by the Heritage wing of the Public Works Department, and garlanding Gandhi’s statue, he wrote in the visitors’ book: “Very happy to have visited this holy place.”

The mood turned more exuberant at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, where crowds packed the Chithirai Streets. Vijay entered through the Potramarai Kulam, got down near the Amman Sannathi on East Chithirai Street and walked towards the temple, folding his hands as he acknowledged people gathered on either side.

Inside the temple, the political leader gave way to the devotee. Vijay requested special archana in his name, under the Poosam star, and in the names of his family members. Priests performed the archana and special deeparadhana for Meenakshi Amman before applying kumkum as prasadam on his forehead.

At the Sundareswarar shrine, special archana was performed in his name and those of his family members, followed by the recitation of Thevaram and Thiruvasagam hymns and presentation of prasadam.

Temple trustee board chairman Rukmani Palanivel Rajan presented Vijay with a statue of Meenakshi Amman, a silk saree and a veshti. Vijay enquired about her well-being and sought her blessings by touching her feet.

For the media, however, the visit unfolded from a distance. Journalists were kept away from several points of the programme, leaving them largely dependent on official releases, visuals, and other secondary sources for portions of their reports.

That distance stood in contrast to the extraordinary public access surrounding Vijay, with supporters lining the streets and waiting for hours for a glimpse of him.

By the end of the visit, Madurai had witnessed two very different moods at once — the fervour of a leader being welcomed by thousands and the strain of a crowd enduring the heat and tightly managed arrangements. It was a homecoming wrapped in devotion and celebration, but one that also exposed the human cost that can accompany such mass gatherings.