Devotees gather in large numbers for historic consecration of Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai

Sep 17, 2026

Madurai (Tamil Nadu): September 17, 2026: ANI: The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, hosts its grand Maha Kumbabhishekam after a 17-year wait; today, September 17, 2026, marks a historic milestone. The day's proceedings began early in the morning, with a series of rituals performed between 3:35 am and 5:45 am as part of the preparations for the Maha Kumbabhishekam. These included Vigneshwara Puja, Punyahavachanam, the 12th Kala Yagam, Dravyahuti, Purnahuti, Deeparadhana, Yatradanam, and the ceremonial procession of the sacred Kalasams, which were carried through the temple premises as part of the rituals. At 7:40 am, the Maha Kumbabhishekam of the golden vimanas and Rajagopurams of the temple was performed simultaneously, marking one of the key moments of the ceremony. This was followed by the Maha Kumbabhishekam of the presiding deity, Sri Meenakshi Amman, conducted at 7:55 am, and subsequently the Maha Kumbabhishekam of the presiding deity, Sri Sundareswarar Swamy, was performed at 8:10 am. The rituals for the presiding deities were followed by Maha Deeparadhana and the grand ceremonial worship of the divine light, marking the culmination of the core consecration rites. The Thirukkudam Nanneerattu Peruvizha, which forms the central Maha Kumbabhishekam ceremony, was conducted between 7:40 am and 8:10 am in the presence of Thavathiru Kundrakudi Adigalar. Throughout the ceremony, the sacred Tamil hymns of the temple's Oduvars resonated across the gopurams, adding to the spiritual and devotional atmosphere surrounding the event. Following the completion of the rituals, Vibhuti (sacred ash) and Thiruvamudhu prasadam were distributed among the devotees who had gathered at the temple to witness the historic occasion.