Thousands of people witness car festival of Subramaniaswamy Temple

Enthusiastic crowds gather in Madurai for Panguni Uthiram car festival, with special pujas and prasadam distribution.

Thousands of people from villages around Madurai arrived at Tirupparakundram a day before and spent the night at the Subramaniaswamy Temple in Madurai to attend the car festival as part of Panguni Uthiram festival on Friday.

The event witnessed enthusiastic young men pulling the car with spiritual fervour.

The car left the temple around 6.15 a.m. and made its way on the ‘girivalam’ paths. Crowds walked alongside the huge temple car despite scorching sun. A fire tender and two medical teams followed the car as a precautionary measure. The car procession came to a halt at 11.10 a.m. after which special pujas were performed.

Several types of ‘prasadam,’ food packets, water and buttermilk were distributed from a line of ‘pandals’ near the temple to devotees. Police teams from nearby districts were deployed, said an official of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.