TranslateWhen: Varies by temple
The Ther Thiruvizha, or temple car festival, is the highlight of the annual festival at most large Tamil Nadu temples. A towering wooden chariot, carved and draped in cloth, carries the processional deity around the temple streets, pulled by hundreds or thousands of devotees on long ropes. The chariot at Thiruvarur is among the largest in Asia.
When
Varies by temple; commonly during Chithirai, Panguni and Aani
Where
Thiruvarur, Srirangam, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Kumbakonam and most large temples
Duration
One day within a longer temple festival
Main highlight
The chariot being pulled around the temple streets
The chariot is assembled and decorated over several days with cloth, flowers and painted panels. On the festival day the processional deity is installed inside, priests perform worship, and the ropes are handed to devotees. The chariot moves slowly around the four mada streets that ring the temple, halting frequently for worship.
Temple cars are built of teak and other hardwoods, with carved panels depicting mythological scenes, and rest on solid wooden wheels. The Thyagaraja temple chariot at Thiruvarur weighs several hundred tonnes and is one of the largest in the country. Kanchipuram, Srirangam and Kumbakonam maintain similarly grand chariots that are drawn only once a year.
Thiruvarur's Azhi Ther in April draws lakhs of participants. Srirangam, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Kumbakonam and Thiruvannamalai all hold major car festivals on their own calendars. Streets along the route are closed and rooftops are used as vantage points. Check the individual temple's festival dates before travelling.
