Arunachaleswarar temple ready with metal chains for safe procession of cars
Private parties knowledgeable in making the chains were brought to the temple and provided the raw material to make them inside the premises itself.
TIRUVANNAMALAI: Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple administration has brought more than 100-metre long heavy metal chains to be used as brakes for the temple cars, which would be run through the newly-laid cement roads of the four mada streets during the annual 10-day Karthigai Deepam festival, which commences from November 17.
All five temple cars – which will carry deities of Vinayagar, Subramaniar, Arunachaleswarar, Amman and Chandikeswarar – will take an entire day to circumambulate the temple on the new road laid by the State Highways Department at a cost of Rs 15 crore. Experts apprehended that the fine surface might cause problems in halting the cars en route the procession. So, the administration has bought the chains.
“All cars are presently being given a fresh coat and their road worthiness have been examined by experts,” a temple official said. “Road worthiness is extremely important as the car must run smoothly when it is pulled with specially made chains and ropes by thousands of devotees,” he added.
Extra chains are necessary due to the fine surface of the newly-laid cement roads. Private parties knowledgeable in making the chains were brought to the temple and provided the raw material to make them inside the premises itself.
But, a bugbear is the presence of a transformer near the Draupadi Amman Temple on the car procession route. While smaller cars will be able to negotiate this space, the massive Swamy’s car because of its huge size may find it difficult, sources said.
Operating a huge temple car is a sight to behold. A person will be sitting atop the car shouting instructions to devotees when to take hold of the chains, pull and to put them down. “Instructions are also shouted to the temple staff to place the wooden blocks in front of the wheels to slow down the car. It is an intricate operation which looks easy from outside, but unless the person issuing instructions is thorough in the operations it can lead to trouble, especially when a portion of the path is uphill and another downhill,” temple officials seeking anonymity said. They continue in the belief that “Arunachaleswarar will take care of everything.”
