After 17 years, Kandadevi car festival conducted peacefully in Sivaganga
The last time the Kandadevi car was pulled by devotees was in 1998; the festival had since been mired in controversy and legal battles
After 17 years of being mired in controversy and involved in legal battles, the car festival at the renowned Kandadevi Sri Periyanayaki Ambika Sametha Swarnamutheeswarar Temple in Sivaganga district was finally pulled by all sections of the society, in a show of unity and bonhomie amidst tight police security, on Friday, June 21, 2024.
Leading the procession at 6.35 a.m., Tamil Nadu Minister for Cooperation K.R. Periyakaruppan pulled the car, accompanied by representatives from various communities, Sivaganga District Collector Asha Ajith, Devasthanam Trustee Madhuranthaki Nachiyar and others. After criss-crossing the main thoroughfares, the car returned to its position at 8.45 a.m.
The Kandadevi temple car came to a halt in 1998, after Dalits asserted their right to pull it, and since then, the car festival, the highlight of the Aani festival of the temple has been contentious. The car was pulled once in 2006, but the practice was once again halted, and has not been taken up since then.
In 2012, the kumbabishekam was performed to the shrine, but the car festival, could not be organised then as officials claimed that due to poor upkeep of the car, it required refurbishment. In 2020, a petition was filed at the High Court Bench in Madurai by Maha. Chidambaram in this regard. Even as the court ordered a trial run of the car, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, putting a halt to this.
A new car was built and finally pulled on a trial basis on February 11, 2024 following which the administration gave the green signal to the Sivaganga Devasthanam to go ahead with the celebrations.
With the hoisting of the holy flag and and tying the kaapu around 10 days ago, the officials announced the Aani celebrations and fixed June 21 as the auspicious date for the car festival of the presiding deities.
Several rounds of meetings were held by multiple departments involving the police, revenue, HR&CE and others. Representatives of communities who had differences of opinion, were all brought to the negotiating table and unanimously they gave their acceptance to pulling the car with representation from every community in the village, officials said.
Large deployment of police
Three days ago, ADGP (law and order) A Arun presided over a review meeting on the security arrangements for the festival.
It was decided at the meeting to deploy about 2,800 personnel including DIGs, SPs, ADSPs, DSP, Inspectors among others for bandobust. The police had also put up CCTV cameras and installed over 10 special check-posts.
The district administration had prepared a list of persons representing various communities to pull the car and as per the list, the people assembled from 5 a.m. onwards. Special poojas were performed to the urchavars at 6 a.m. and the deities, Piriyavidai and Swarnamurtheeswarar were taken on the big car, while Periya Nayaki and Ambika were accompanied in the supplementing car with Vinayagar, Murugan and Chandeekeswarar deities as well.
Elders from various communities were filled with emotions and a few of them wept in joy seeing the car roll out majestically. They thanked the district administration, the police and others.
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