Date:10/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/10/stories/2007021002810500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Kumbabhishekam for Samayapuram temple

Staff Reporter

About 71.1 kg gold was utilised to adorn the vimanam

Kumbabishekam also for east and west `rajagopurams'

Adorning vimanam completed in two and-a-half months

TEMPLE FETE: Consecration of the golden `Vimanam' of Sri Samayapuram Mariamman temple being performed in Tiruchi on Friday. — Photo: R. Ashok

TIRUCHI : A large number of devotees witnessed the `kumbabhishekam' of the golden `vimanam' of the Samayapuram Sri Mariamman temple, near here, on Friday.

With the recital of holy verses and playing of the nagaswaram, the Sivachariars brought the holy water in `gadams' and poured it over the `kalasams' on the glittering vimanam, at 7.37 a.m.

About 71.1 kg gold, collected in the temple hundi, mostly in the form of `mangalasutras,' was utilised for adorning the vimanam.

The Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation (Poompuhar) executed the work in two-and-a-half months. The `balalayam' (preliminary rituals for the kumbabishekam) of the `vimanam' was performed on October 25, 2006.

Simultaneously, the `kumbabishekam' of the other `vimanams' atop the shrines of Ganapathy, Uthsava Amman, Andavar Karupannasamy and Abhisheka Amman, besides the east and west `rajagopurams' were performed. Before the kumbabishekam, the Sivachariars explained the significance of adorning the vimanams with gold. Kumbabishekam was performed last in February 2004.

The temple authorities had made special arrangements for the kumbabishekam.

A number of metal barricades were set up both inside and outside the temple to regulate crowd movement.

Transport Minister K. N. Nehru, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Minister K. R. Periyakaruppan, Mayor Sarubala R. Tondaiman and Joint Commissioners T. Rajamanickam and P. Sivakumar were among those present.

The DIG of Police, P. Kandasamy and the Superintendent of Police, Ashok Kumar Das, supervised security arrangements.