Tamil Nadu

Numerous devotees witness ‘Ganjendra Moksham’

— Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

Holy journey: Devotees carrying the palanquins with the processional idols of Sri Sathyamoorthy Perumal and Sri Rama at Kadayakudi village near Pudukottai on Saturday.

PUDUKOTTAI: A large number of devotees witnessed the ‘Gajendra Moksham’ at Sri Prasanna Regunatha Perumal temple at Kadayakudi, near here, on the occasion of ‘Chithira Pournami’ on Saturday.

The highlight of the festival at this temple dedicated to Lord Rama and His Consort Sri Sita, is the procession of the idols of Sri Sathyamurthy Perumal, Tirumayam, about 20 km from Kadayakudi, and the Sri Govindaraja Perumal from Pudukottai, about six km from the village, which were brought to the village and taken by Sri Garuda Vahanam.

Later, the processional idols of Sri Rama, Sri Sathyamurthy Perumal and Sri Govindaraja Perumal were taken to the banks of the Vellar nearby where ‘theerthavari’ was performed.

According to S. Suresh Bhattachariar, the temple-priest of Sri Prasanna Regunatha Perumal, the idol of Sri Sathyamurthy Perumal was taken in a palanquin from Tirumayam on Friday night and reached Kadayakudi around noon on Saturday. Covering a distance of about 20 km, the idol was carried by a number of devotees, in tune with the tradition established more than a century-and-a-half ago.

Sri Narasimha Bhattachariar and Sri Ranganatha Bhattachariar from Tirumayam said that the Vellar at Kadayakudi village was the nearest water-body for performing the “theerthavari” ritual.

They said that the processional idol of Sri Sathyamurthy was brought through Kottaiyoor, Nallupatti and Kadayakudi.

In the return direction on Sunday, the idol would be taken via Nagarathupatti, Pulivalam and Kodipatti.

Sri Suresh Bhattachariar said that efforts were being made to revive the tradition of bringing a few other processional idols from adjoining villages. The system, which was in vogue, had been given up about a decade ago.

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