Grand Temple Consecration Ceremony at Thiruparankundram Draws Devotees in Large Numbers

Grand Temple Consecration Ceremony at Thiruparankundram Draws Devotees in Large Numbers (image: The New Indian Express)

Madurai, July 15: The sacred Kumbabishekam (consecration ceremony) of the renowned Subramanya Swamy Temple in Thiruparankundram, one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, was celebrated on Monday with immense religious fervour and spiritual zeal. Thousands of devotees gathered to witness the divine rituals.

Ceremonial Events Begin Before Sunrise

The rituals began early at 3:45 AM, with the holy water (Abhisheka Theertham) taken in a grand procession to the top of the temple's towering Rajagopuram. At 5:30 AM, the holy water was poured over the temple’s Kalashas, marking the main event of the consecration. For the first time, drones were used to sprinkle sacred water on the gathered devotees, while temple workers also used water pumps to reach the crowd.

Live Telecast and Massive Arrangements for Devotees

To ensure everyone could witness the divine event, LED screens were installed at 26 locations around the temple premises, offering a live telecast of the rituals. Tamil Nadu Ministers P. K. Sekar Babu and P. Moorthy, along with District Collector K. J. Praveen Kumar, were present at the temple to oversee arrangements and participate in the darshan.

Dravidian Model Government’s Religious Efforts

Speaking to the media, Minister Sekar Babu shared that the Dravidian Model government has successfully completed kumbabishekam rituals in over 3,347 temples across Tamil Nadu, including 124 dedicated to Lord Murugan highlighting their commitment to spiritual heritage and public safety.

Massive Crowd Management and Medical Support

Due to the overwhelming crowd, devotees arriving the previous night found it difficult to access the temple directly. One such devotee from Madurai, M. Srinivasan, said, “We watched the rituals from a distance and later got a chance for darshan.”

The health department took proactive steps, deploying teams from local PHCs to conduct 10 medical camps in the area. Two special medical units from Thiruparankundram Government Hospital were also stationed nearby. A 50-bed emergency ward was set up at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) to handle any possible health concerns during the large gathering.

Local philanthropists actively distributed food and water to devotees throughout the day, creating an atmosphere of community and care. As more devotees are expected to visit on Tuesday, arrangements for safety, health, and crowd management remain in full force.