Kapaleeswarar temple car procession held as part of the 10-day Panguni festival

Thousands of devotees on Monday witnessed the procession of the Kapaleeswarar temple car during the annual 10-day long Panguni festival.

Thousands of devotees on Monday witnessed the procession of the Kapaleeswarar temple car during the annual 10-day long Panguni festival.

The tall and colourfully decorated temple chariot carrying the utsava idols of Lord Kapaleeswarar and Goddess Karpagambal, and those carrying the idols of Ganesha and Murugan began going around the four mada streets of Mylapore at 7.25 a.m. and returned by 1 p.m.

With devotees blowing conches and playing musical instruments, including drums and cymbals, shouts of ‘Kapali’ rent the air each time the car’s wheels turned to move a short distance, pulled by the devotees using two giant ropes.

“It took more time than usual at the turns. The road was newly laid at one location,” said a devotee, who was part of the team that pulled the temple car. The movement of the car was monitored, and the crowd was managed accordingly.

The police, under Mylapore Deputy Commissioner Rajat Chaturvedi had provided bandobast and ensured there were no disturbances. Over 300 police personnel, 15 Assistant Commissioners and 50 inspectors were stationed along the route. A total of 11 watchtowers along the Mada streets and inside the temple were set up.

On Tuesday, the Arubathimoovar festival, when the idols of 63 Nayanmars, the Shaivite saints will be brought out in procession, will be held. The route will be lined with shops, points where food and drinks, including buttermilk, will be supplied for free to devotees. Traffic regulations will be in place in Mylapore to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, which will begin by 2.30 p.m.

The 10-day long festivities began on March 27 with the conduct of Puja to Kola Vizhi Amman, the grams devatha. From April 8, 10 days of cultural and spiritual programmes will be help as part of the Vidaiyatri Vizha at the temple.