Rare Lord Murugan ritual at Chennai temple draws thousands of devotees

Thousands of Hindus thronged the 160-year-old Vadapalani Murugan Temple here for a rare ritual that takes place only once in 12 years on Thursday.

Chennai, Aug 31 : Thousands of Hindus thronged the 160-year-old Vadapalani Murugan Temple here for a rare ritual that takes place only once in 12 years on Thursday.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the son of Lord Shiva.Drummers whipped up rhythmic notes, as priests chanted hymns from the Vedas during the 'Kumbhabishekam', which involves the spraying of water from sacred pitchers on and around the temple.

"The ceremony was blessed by scholars, saints, philosophers and lots of devotees thronging from various parts of the country and the whole world," said Sirkaali Siva Chidambram, a trustee of the Hindu Religious and Entertainment Board, which manages the temple.

The ceremony was the culmination of 45 days of rituals for which 16 million rupees was spent.

Kanmani Srivasan, a devotee, said that participating in the ritual would benefit them for generations to come.

Lord Murugan is the 'Lord of War' and the patron god of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu is dotted with Murugan temples, and the most famous of them is located on the hilltop at Pazhani.

ANI