All set for consecration ceremony for Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

The stage is set for the consecration ceremony of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, being held after 17 years, on Thursday morning.

All the temple towers and various parts of Madurai city have been decked up with colourful lights. The streets around the temple have been cleaned and maintained, as thousands of devotees from far and near are expected to throng the temple.

Amid tight police security, 9,000 devotees with passes will be allowed to witness the ceremony, scheduled between 7.40 a.m. and 8.10 a.m. Devotees, including VIPs, will be allowed onto the terrace of the temple from 5 a.m.

Proper barricading has been put up on the terrace to ensure the safety of devotees. Seven temporary staircases have been erected inside the temple exclusively to access the terrace. Separate staircases have been provided for devotees to descend to the ground floor.

Devotees with seven different colour-coded passes will be allowed through specific entry points at the East Tower, Rajagopuram, North Tower, West Tower and South Tower. Parking lots have also been provided around the temple.

The kalasams containing holy water used in the yagasalai will be carried to the towers at around 6 a.m. The consecration ceremony will begin simultaneously at all 12 towers and the two vimanams of the temple at the scheduled time.

Devotees without passes will not be allowed to enter the temple premises. They can witness the ceremony from Amman Sannathi Street. The temple authorities have erected giant LED screens at 51 locations on important streets outside the temple, including Aavani, Chithirai, Masi and Marret Streets, as well as at Periyar bus stand, Mattuthavani bus stand, Arapalayam bus stand, Anna bus stand, Madurai Railway Junction and Teppakulam. The screens will facilitate live streaming of the Kumbabishekam ceremony. Satellite channels will also telecast the event live.

After special pujas to the presiding deities following the consecration, general devotees will be allowed to enter the temple from 10 a.m. through the West and South towers to offer prayers. Devotees can call the toll-free numbers 1800-425-6781 and 1800-425-6782 for assistance and emergency help.

The Madurai Corporation has made elaborate arrangements for providing protected drinking water, toilets, medical camps with advanced life support facilities and ambulances. Fire tenders and mini-fire tenders have been deployed in and around the temple.

Three senior bureaucrats are overseeing the arrangements being made by the Madurai district administration, Madurai Corporation and the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments. Special bus and train services are being operated from various parts of the State to Madurai for the benefit of devotees.