What Happened During Lord Kallalagar’s Vaigai River Entry in Madurai?

Chennai, May 12 (NationPress) Tragically, two devotees lost their lives during the spectacular Lord Kallalagar Vaigai River entry event, which is a significant part of the ongoing Chithirai festival in Madurai on Monday.

The first victim, Boominathan (61), a resident of Tirunelveli, collapsed while participating in the eagerly awaited ritual near Goripalayam. He had accessed the event with a temple-issued pass and was among the throngs gathered along the riverbanks to witness the ceremonial entrance of Lord Kallalagar into the Vaigai.

Amidst the bustling crowd, he fainted and was quickly transported to an emergency ambulance stationed nearby. However, there was confusion regarding the designated exit route for ambulances, which delayed his transfer to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH).

Upon arrival, the medical team declared him ‘brought dead’. Sources indicate that Boominathan was a cardiac patient on regular medication, though the precise cause of death will be determined after a post-mortem examination.

In a separate incident, another man, identified as Kannan (43), was discovered unconscious near the same location. He was also taken to GRH, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The cause of Kannan's death remains unclear and is currently under investigation.

The Vaigai River entry is a pivotal highlight of the annual Chithirai festival, which runs from May 8 to 17.

On Monday morning, Lord Kallalagar, draped in traditional green silk robes symbolizing agricultural prosperity, arrived on a magnificent golden horse vahana at the HR&CE Department’s Mandagapadi, located on the Vaigai River, at 5:48 a.m.

As the deity made his entrance, chants of “Govinda Govinda” reverberated through the air, complemented by loudspeakers playing the traditional devotional song “Vararu Vararu Alagar Vararu”, creating a spiritually uplifting atmosphere.

After reaching Tallakulam Perumal Temple on Sunday night, the grand procession continued early Monday morning towards the Vaigai River.

Following tradition, Lord Veera Raghava Perumal from Kudal Alagar Temple, mounted on a silver horse vahana, welcomed Kallalagar into the river.

After completing the rituals and customary circling of the platform, the procession moved along the northern banks of the Vaigai to Ramarayar Mandapam for the ‘Theertha Vari’ ritual, where devotees clad as Kallalagar and Pathinettam Padi Karuppu sprayed scented water using traditional leather bags known as ‘Thopparai’.

Later in the day, the deity progressed towards Vandiyur Perumal Temple, with plans to visit Thenur Mandapam on Tuesday to perform the lifting of Sage Manduka’s curse.

Authorities had made extensive arrangements to manage the large crowd that had gathered from across Tamil Nadu and beyond to witness this revered event.