Madurai: Due to the increasing number of devotees visiting in connection with the consecration ceremony held at the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, free darshan has been extended until Sept. 23.
The world-famous Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is a renowned temple that has existed since the Sangam period. According to Agama rules, the consecration ceremony should be conducted once every 12 years. The last one was held on April 8, 2009. Accordingly, arrangements were made by the temple administration to conduct the consecration in 2021.
On Feb. 2, 2018, a fire accident in the shops inside the Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam damaged the entire hall. Later, during the then DMK government, it was decided to restore the Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam and hold the consecration ceremony.
The restoration work on the Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam, carried out at a cost of Rs. 35 crore, was completed on Aug. 30 last year, and the hall was opened. Devotees were also delighted as the eastern gopuram entrance, which had been kept closed for eight years for the Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam work, was opened.
Following this, the consecration works began. In Vadakkadi Street, 184 fire pits were set up for the yagasala rituals. Preliminary pujas began on Sept. 6. Then, from the evening of Sept. 11, the first phase of yagasala puja began. In connection with the ritual of applying medicinal paste to the presiding deities Meenakshi Amman and Sundareswarar Swamy, the sanctums of the main deities were closed from Sept. 11 to 16.
On Sept. 16 at around 5 a.m., the tenth phase of the yaga sacrifice concluded and the procession of the kalashas took place. By 6 a.m., the consecration ceremony was held yesterday for 414 attendant deities, including Dakshinamurthy, Durga, Lakshmi, Bhadrakali, the 63 Nayanmars, and the surrounding flag trees.
At around 7:40 a.m., the consecration ceremony was held simultaneously for the golden vimanas and the rajagopura kalasams of the Meenakshi and Sundareswarar shrines. At 7:55 a.m., the consecration was performed for the presiding deity Meenakshi Amman, and at 8:10 a.m., the consecration was performed for the presiding deity Sundareswarar Swamy. A large number of devotees took part in this.
Devotees were then allowed for darshan. It had already been announced that devotees would be allowed free darshan until today.
In this situation, following the consecration ceremony, the number of devotees coming to the Meenakshiamman Temple has been increasing. Devotees are arriving from various parts of Tamil Nadu. In response, the temple administration has announced today that the free darshan period has been extended until Sept. 23.