NE NEWS SERVICE
KARAIKAL, JULY 5
The annual five-day ”Maangani festival” (mango festival) of Arulmigu Karaikal Ammaiyar temple here concluded on Sunday without participation of devotees due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown.
It is celebrated in praise of ”Karaikal Ammaiyar”, the only woman saint among the 63 Saivite Nayanmars, symbolises the event when the Ammaiyar gave away a rare mango variety to a Saivite saint.
This year, the five-day festival commenced with Vigneshwara Pooja on Wednesday, followed by Thirukalyanam (celestial wedding) on Thursday.
The main event of the festival, the Pitchandavar procession was held on Saturday. The concluding ceremonies were held on Sunday.
In all the events, only the temple priests and officials participated. On Saturday, the procession was held within the temple premises and priests threw mangoes on the idol of Lord Shiva (in Pichandavar incarnation).
Devotees throw mangoes when the utasav idol of “Pichandavar” (Lord Shiva) is taken out in a procession believing the fruits would reach god.
The festival at the temple in Karaikal, an enclave of Puducherry, usually attracts thousands of devotees every year.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy visited the temple on Thursday on the occasion of Thirukalyanam festival
