Tamil Nadu: Over 50,000 devotees illuminated the Sri Ponkaliamman temple in Tamil Nadu's Erode district as they participated in the renowned Ponkaliamman festival, with fire torches in their hands, in a grand procession on Wednesday evening.
Held at the Sri Ponkaliamman Temple in the Thalayanallur area near Sivagiri, the festival's highlight was the ceremonial lighting of torches, symbolising fervent devotion.
Special prayers accompanied rituals such as bathing the deity in sanctified water, milk, coconut water, turmeric paste, sandalwood paste, and honey, believed to confer blessings of health, prosperity, and success upon devotees.
Preceding the festival, a midnight horse-pulling ceremony and the fire bandham ceremony added to the vibrant festivities.
The event drew devotees from various districts, including Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tirupur, Coimbatore, and Salem, congregating in Erode to participate in the religious celebrations.
Ponkaliamman, the temple's principal deity, holds centuries-old significance, with the exact date of its establishment obscured by time.
The temple was reconstructed in the mid-1950s, having previously been known as Azhagapuri or Parapuri, with the name Pariyur deriving from 'Pari' 'oor,' signifying a place ruled by 'Pari.'
Vel Pari, a revered figure in Tamil literature, is hailed as one of the Kadai ezhu vallal (literally meaning, the last of the seven great patrons).
Arulmigu Kondathu Kaliamman, the powerful deity worshipped at the temple, is attributed with bestowing prosperity upon the land ruled by Pari.
Believed to be adorned with the face of Rudra and a crown ablaze with flames, she appears as Rudra Kali.
During the festival, devotees bring copious amounts of wood to fuel a forty-foot-long pit, upon which the temple's chief priest leads a procession, followed by thousands of devotees, who walk upon the burning pit with remarkable fearlessness.
The festival holds special significance for devotees seeking blessings, as rituals such as abhishekam to Muniappaswami with twelve pots of water on a Tuesday are believed to fulfil desires for children and provide protection from malevolent forces.
The talismans and threads placed at the deity's feet are revered for their reputed ability to cure ailments and ward off dark influences.
