Madurai, Tamil Nadu: The much-awaited Chithirai Festival at the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple is all set to commence on April 12, announced the temple authorities.

The festivities will kick off with the ceremonial flag hoisting from 9:55 am to 10:19 am at Mithuna Laganam. Spanning nearly a month, the celebrations will continue till April 23.

Key highlights of the festival include the Pattabhishekam on April 19, Meenakshi Amman Dik Vijayam on April 20, and the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar celestial wedding (Thirukalyanam) on April 21.

According to the temple administration, the chariot festival is slated for April 22, followed by the pivotal moment of the festival, the entry of Lord Kalaalagar into Vaigai, on April 23.

This annual extravaganza holds immense cultural and religious significance for the denizens of Madurai.

Drawing in around one million attendees, including tourists, the event is the largest in south Tamil Nadu, hosted at the iconic Madurai temple.

The concluding days of the festival are marked with fervor at the Kallazhagar temple, nestled in the Alagar Hills in Madurai. Lord Kallazhagar, believed to be Goddess Meenakshi's brother and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, takes center stage during this phase.

The Chithirai Festival, also known as the Meenakshi Kalyanam or Meenakshi Thirukalyanam, is an annual Tamil Hindu celebration held at the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, during April.

The festival commemorates the divine union of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar. The initial 15 days honor Meenakshi's coronation as the divine ruler of Madurai and her nuptials to Sundareshvara. Subsequently, the following 15 days mark the procession of Kallalagar (a manifestation of the god Vishnu) from his temple to the Meenakshi Amman Temple.

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