Sculptures of brightly bedecked goddess Kottai Kaliamman in various forms and sizes adorn the terrace of K. Sneha, a young transgender sculptor from Old Town in Vellore.
Her small terrace at the foothills of rugged hillock along Nicholson Canal has been busy for over a month with young sculptors like her, making various sculptures like Kali, Ratha Katteri, Narasimhar, Siva and Parvathi, painting them in different colours ahead of Mayana Kollai festival that was held on Saturday along the dry Palar river.
“Unlike others in the town, who celebrate the festival in the river, we do it at our Kali temple at the centre of Vellore town for many years. We do it on the first Sunday after Maha Shivarathi,” said Ms. Sneha, a transgender.
The Mayanakollai festival, is celebrated in the Tamil month of Maasi (February to March) a day after Maha Shivaratri, in the erstwhile North Arcot region. Palar river is the centre of the festival as hundreds of devotees throng the sands of the river on the day of the festival.
Local historians trace its origin to the prayer for the ancestors and graveyard deity for a better harvest and protection of cattle, a major source of wealth during ancient times. Paddy and seeds were sprayed on the clay sculpture on the dry riverbed praying for a better harvest on the festival day.
“Celebrations along the river near the graveyard attributes its connection to Lord Shiva. Believers from various parts of the State congregate during the night-long festival,” said Professor P.C. Rathinam, who taught history at Muthurangam Government Arts College, Vellore.
In Vellore, transgender community and others celebrate in their own ways. Transgenders go for rigorous 15-day fasting, mostly liquid vegetarian diet, before taking a procession around the Old Town area.
Vellore town comes to a standstill especially during the procession as part of the festival. As they were used to the long and slow movement of the procession where devotees dance, sing and burst crackers, locals turn into spectators. To prevent any untoward incidents, Vellore SP, N. Manivannan, has deployed 670 police personnel, including 463 constables to regulate the event.
