Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 14 (ANI): Lakhs of devotees thronged the Tiruchendur Subramania Swamy Temple, one of the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan, on Sunday on the occasion of Amavasya (New Moon Day), leading to massive crowds and long queues for darshan.
The temple, located in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, witnesses a steady flow of devotees every day, but the turnout surged significantly due to the public holiday and auspicious Amavasya, with devotees arriving from various parts of Tamil Nadu, other states and even from abroad.
Devotees began their pilgrimage by taking a holy dip in the sea located in front of the temple, followed by a ritual bath at the sacred Nazhi Kinaru, a natural freshwater spring, before joining long queues along with their families for darshan of Lord Murugan.
Due to the heavy influx of devotees, severe crowding was witnessed in the general darshan queue, the Rs 100 special darshan queue, and the special queue designated for senior citizens.
The temple doors were opened at 5 a.m., followed by Viswaroopa Darshan, special poojas, and deeparadhana rituals. Devotees had been waiting in long queues since the early hours of the morning to have darshan of the deity. Some devotees said they had to wait for more than five hours before they could worship Lord Murugan.
As devotees continued to arrive from various regions throughout the day, the Rs 100 special darshan queue also remained overcrowded. The queues extended beyond the designated waiting areas, forcing many devotees to stand under the scorching sun while awaiting their turn for darshan.
To facilitate the large number of pilgrims, arrangements for drinking water and sanitation facilities were made by the temple administration. More than 100 police personnel were deployed to maintain security and regulate the crowd.
Earlier, the State Vice President of the Hindu Munnani, VP Jayakumar, urged that steps should be taken to reopen the lower Rajagopuram entrance of Tiruchendur's Subramania Swamy Temple, which has remained closed for many years.
He pointed out that the lower Rajagopuram entrance of the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple has remained closed for several years. Reopening the entrance, he said, would make it easier for devotees to enter the temple and have darshan of Lord Murugan.
He urged the HR&CE Minister S Ramesh to reconsider the continued closure of the entrance in the name of Agama regulations and take appropriate action.
Speaking to reporters in Tiruchendur on Saturday, he welcomed the inspection recently conducted by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department at the temple.
He also stressed that various measures should be undertaken to improve facilities for devotees. (ANI)
