Madurai bubbling : Meenakshi Thirukalyanam and Alagar aartil irangum vaibhavam!

Dear Maduraites,
It is festival time in Madurai -Goddess Meenakshi Thirukalyanam and Alagar aartil irangum vaibhavam! As you can see on the TV the Madurai roads are brimming with crowds; today being Edhir sevai. The devotees in hundreds are awaiting andworshipping Alagar on his way to Madurai to attend the wedding. of Meenakshi. Well the story goes that the celestial wedding gets over, before Alagar reaches Madurai. So Alagar changes his plan to cross river Vaigai to attend the function. Instead he just gets in the Vaigai and enthralls the thousands of devotees with his dharshan and returns back to Algar Koil, along the banks of the river. Before reaching, he gives dharshans in various attires in different mandapams. In the Ramaraya Mandapam, Dasavadaram is enacted! People in their new dresses and some devotees dressed up in their special shorts and long zari, decorative caps, carrying leather bags containing water - all eager to see the God - is really a sight to be seen. Alagar rides the golden horse and steps into the river; this is when the devotees pump out water from the leather bags on to the thronging Bhakthas. These devotees are so enthu. ;they travel with Alagar back to Alagar Koil. This Chithirai thiruvizha was started by Thirumalai Nayak to unite the saivaites and vaishnavites. Hundreds of people from villages around Madurai come to celebrate the festival. Exhibition - the chithirai porutkatchi - is a regular feature every year!
It is not chithirai thiruvizha but "peruvizha" enjoyed not only by devotees but also children and people of all ages.

Dear Savideva,
You have made me homesick all over again - I just went to Madurai, a month back !
When I was young, the vanavedikkai for ethir sevai used to enthral us ! I wonder whether that continues still !
It will be Jana samudram, this side of the melpalam for the next 3, 4 days till Alagar goes back !
Oh, how I wish, I had lived all my life in Madurai !
A very beautiful post, Savideva ! Thankyou!!
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Savi Deva,
That was a very nice demo of whats going on right now in Madurai..........miss all those lovely moments.........poompallakku,people coming in tractors,man dressed up as lion,hanuman..........in my child hood days i used to get frightened of this man,balloons,pink colour mittai were all my favourites............

Alagar used to come to our apartment complex itself.............the entire complex will be jam packed with people.Puliyodharai prasadham will be given by some people......the taste will be heavenly...........after reading ur post am only physically here my mind is right there at madurai.

Thanks for a lovely post..............
Shantha KasiArunachalam

Dear Saideva,

What an ethralling piece! You brough the azhagu of Ethirsevai to our consoles and hearts! Thank you! Very well written and from the heart.

regards
Vidya

Dear Chithra,
I can fully understand your feelings for and attachment to Madurai. Yes you aptly described the crowd - janasamudram! It was thrilling to watch Alagar entering the river vaigai , in all the 4 local channels. There was a running commentary in one; doubts of viewers regarding the festival , cleared by knowlegable personalities in the other and so I learnt a lot about the festival too.
Regards,
Savideva

Dear Kasisheela and Vidya , thanks for the good words.
Kasisheela, yes how can one forget the pink mittai! There could be so many varieties of chocolates and toffees' but none can beat the pink mittai!!
Regards,
Savideva