Thai poosam festival begins at Samayapuram temple

Trichy: The Thai poosam festival of Arulmigu Mariamman temple in Samayapuram near Trichy commenced with the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony on Tuesday. Scores of devotees thronged the temple throughout the day.

Considered as the significant temple of Amman worship in the state, the festival saw special prayers hosted at the sanctum sanctorum by the early hours of Tuesday. By around 6.45am, the holy flag was hoisted at the kodimaram (holy pole) by senior priests and in the presence of HR&CE officials.

To prevent huge footfall at the temple, the HR&CE has made arrangement for live relaying the proceedings of the event and other auspicious pujas in the temple’s official YouTube channel.

The crucial event of the annual festival - the float festival - is scheduled to be held on January 27. Another auspicious event, witnessing the arrival of holy gifts from Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple is to be celebrated on January 28.

HR&CE joint commissioner K P Ashok Kumar said that the standard operating procedures are still in force. “We will intensify the monitoring and crowd control mechanisms throughout the festival days,” Kumar added.

Since Thai poosam in Samayapuram temple is the first major festival organised after the Covid19 pandemic, shopkeepers, particularly flower vendors are in the upbeat mode to revive their business.