Aadi Pooram car festival draws thousands of devotees to Srivilliputtur

Aadi Pooram car festival at Andal Temple draws crowds, with devotees pulling the presiding deities' car through the streets.

All the four Car Streets around Andal Temple here were teaming with devotees from far and near on the occasion of Aadi Pooram car festival.

The car with the presiding deities, Andal and Lord Rengammanar, began its journey from East Car Street with scores of devotees, including Virudhunagar Collector V. P. Jeyaseelan, and Chairman Temple Board of Trustees and Chairman of Ramco Group P. R. Venketrama Raja pulling the vadams (huge ropes).

The huge temple care decorated with colourful cloth works began moving at 9.05 a.m.

Even as earth movers were pushing the steel wheels of the car from behind, the devotees pulled the ropes in accordance with the signals given by the ‘ther sarathy’ one who commands the car movement. Despite an overcast sky that turned the atmosphere highly sultry, the devotees continued to pull the car enthusiastically. However, many of them complained of lack of supply of adequate quantity of drinking water as they were profusely sweating.

Scores of volunteers, including NSS volunteers were involved in putting wooden planks in front of wheels to help the massive wooden car to negotiate turnings. The car was stopped for a brief while as there was delay in handing over a garland from the car to garland statue of freedom fighter Muthuramalinga Thevar. However, after the intervention of the police, the issue was solved.

The authorities had put steel plates at different spots on the road as a precautionary measure at identified weak spots. However, at one spot the car got stuck for sometime on the road which was dug up for underground power cable on West Car Street.

Devotees in small and big groups sang bhajans and also performed kolattams ahead of the car.