Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple's Chithirai Festival to begin on April 12

The festival will start with flag hoisting from 9.55 am to 10.19 am at Mithuna Laganam. The celebrations will last for almost a month, from April 12 to April 23.

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple's Chithirai Festival will begin on April 12, said the temple administration. The festival will start with flag hoisting from 9.55 am to 10.19 am at Mithuna Laganam. The celebrations will last for almost a month, from April 12 to April 23.

The main events of the festival include the Pattabhishekam on April 19, Meenakshi Amman Dik Vijayam on April 20, and the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar celestial wedding (Thirukalyanam) on April 21. The chariot festival is scheduled for April 22, followed by the main event of the festival, the entry of Lord Kalaalagar into Vaigai, on April 23, said the administration.

This festival holds great cultural and religious significance for the people of Madurai. Around one million people, including tourists, come to witness the event that takes place in Madurai, south Tamil Nadu's biggest temple.

The last days of the festivals are celebrated in Kallazhagar temple, in the Alagar Hills in Madurai. Lord Kallazhagar is considered to be Goddess Meenakshi's brother, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Chithirai Festival, also known as the Meenakshi Kalyanam or Meenakshi Thirukalyanam, is an annual Tamil Hindu celebration that takes place at the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, during April.

The festival celebrates the union of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar, and the first 15 days mark the coronation of Meenakshi as the divine ruler of Madurai and her marriage to Sundareshvara. The next 15 days mark the journey of Kallalagar (a form of the god Vishnu) from his temple to Meenakshi Amman Temple. (ANI)

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