MADURAI: The Chithirai festival at the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple will be conducted without devotees this year too due to Covid-19. The festival will be confined to the temple premises.
The Chithirai festival, which goes on for about twenty days, sees a floating population of about 10 lakh devotees from the day Lord Kallazhagar leaves his abode and comes to Madurai. The culminating events of the festival at the temple, including the celestial wedding and coronation, see a large crowd of devotees.
Last year, the festival was held without devotees due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The Tamil Nadu government banned the conduct of religious festivals and related events this year too due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Madurai district collector T Anbazhagan told TOI that the Chithirai festival would be performed by priests within the temple like last year. Arrangements would be made to help devotees view the rituals on the temple website and other platforms.