TranslateWhen: April/May
The Azhagar Festival, part of the wider Chithirai celebrations in Madurai, follows Lord Kallazhagar as he travels from the Azhagar Kovil hill temple to Madurai to attend his sister Meenakshi's wedding. Arriving too late, he halts at the Vaigai river and enters the water, a moment watched by lakhs of people gathered on the riverbed at dawn.
When
Tamil month of Chithirai (April or May)
Where
Azhagar Kovil to the Vaigai river, Madurai
Duration
Several days of processions
Main highlight
Kallazhagar entering the Vaigai river at daybreak
The deity leaves Azhagar Kovil, roughly 20 kilometres northeast of Madurai, and travels through the night in a series of vahanas, including the celebrated golden horse. Crowds line the route through the night. At dawn the deity is carried into the Vaigai riverbed, where the ethiroli welcome ceremony takes place.
The deity is dressed in different guises at successive halts along the route. Nadaswaram ensembles, folk drumming and dance accompany the procession. Devotees offer buttermilk, panagam and free food to the crowds along the way, and the return journey to Azhagar Kovil takes place over the following days.
Madurai is the base, with the Vaigai riverbed near the Tallakulam and Vandiyur stretches being the main viewing area. The river entry happens at first light, so position yourself before dawn. Azhagar Kovil itself, set at the foot of the Azhagar hills, is worth visiting outside the festival for its sculpture and forest setting.
