MADURAI: Hundreds of people thronged the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam in Madurai to watch the float festival.
The float was decked up with festoons and colourful lights. The statues goddess Meenakshi and lord Sundareswarar were kept on the pedestal of the float, and it was taken around the sprawling waterbody.
For the second consecutive year, the tank was filled to its brim, thanks to the effort taken by the Madurai Corporation. Water was brought to the tank through Panaiyur channel from the Vaigai after five decades. Earlier, float festivals used to be conducted in less quantity of water, filled using motor pumps or as static float festivals in the absence of water.
Around 1,000 police personnel were deployed by the city police for the crowd management and traffic regulation. Fire and rescue teams were stationed along with boats to rescue people in case of untoward incidents.
While a large number of people in and around Madurai took part in the festival, many did not wear masks. They did not bother to follow social distancing too.
Both the Muktheeswar and Mariamman temples located respectively in the western and northern side of the tank witnessed good crowds.