Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Special Correspondent

Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrated at temples amid COVID-19 restrictions

Jostling for a glimpse: Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple presiding deity crossing the Swargavaasal on Vaikunda Ekadasi in Triplicane on Thursday. (Source: K.V. SRINIVASAN)

Vaikunta Ekadasi was celebrated on Thursday across temples, including Sri Parthasarathy Perumal temple in Triplicane, Sri Madhavaperumal temple in Mylapore and Sri Ranganathaperumal temple in Tiruneermalai, with the opening of the Swargavaasal early in the day.

“Devotees were not permitted to enter the temple during the opening of the swargavaasal and were allowed inside only after 6 a.m. This was done to prevent too many people from congregating inside the closed space,” said an official from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department. There was not much crowd early in the morning at the Sri Parthasarasathy Perumal temple but people started coming in after 4 a.m.

“Barricades had been placed to ensure people did not pause anywhere and maintained distancing. The events were shown on YouTube for the benefit of devotees, who could not make it due to the restrictions,” said Minister P.K. Sekarbabu. The police were posted in large numbers.

The festival also marks the end of Pagal Pathu and commencement of Iraa Pathu festivities when the Swargavaasal would remain open till January 22, excluding the weekends. This is the second Vaikunta Ekadasi in a month as some temples celebrated in December 2021.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.