Hundreds of devotees from Cuddalore and neighbouring districts thronged Chidambaram on Sunday to take part in the car festival of Sri Sabanayagar temple popularly known as Sri Natarajar temple, held as part of the Arudra Darshan festivities.
Five cars carrying the processional cum presiding deity Lord Nataraja and his consort Sivagamasundari, Lord Vinayaka, Lord Subramaniam and Chandigeswar rolled out from the temple premises at around 7.00 a.m. The devotees pulled the cars through the town, covering the four streets.
After the procession, Lord Natarajar and goddess Sivagamasundari were brought to the 1,000-pillar mandapam in the temple where special pujas would be performed.
The car festival could not be held last year following restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, the penultimate day of the 10-day festivities, the sanctum sanctorum would be again opened for Arudra Darshan when the presiding deity in cosmic dance posture would be taken out in a palanquin procession.
This is one of the two important annual ten-day festivals when Lord Nataraja is taken out around the four car streets in the temple town, the other festival being ‘Aani Thirumanjanam’.
Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made by the Cuddalore district police for Arudra Darshan on Monday. A huge posse of police personnel led by Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan have been deployed for security.
