Thousands of devotees gathered at Thenur Mandapam in Vandiyur on Saturday to witness the ritual associated with Lord Kallazhagar liberating Manduga Maharishi from a curse during the annual Chithirai festival.
The procession resumed on Saturday morning after the deity halted at Veera Raghava Perumal temple in Vandiyur on Friday night. After visiting several mandagapadis en route, Lord Kallazhagar reached Thenur Mandapam in the afternoon, where special pujas were performed by villagers. As part of the ritual, the deity was mounted on a Garuda Vahanam. The villagers also held special pujas.
According to legend, Manduga Maharishi was cursed by sage Durvasa to become a frog after failing to acknowledge his presence while performing penance. The curse was later lifted when Lord Kallazhagar, returning to Alagar Kovil, blessed the sage on the banks of the Vaigai. Despite the intense heat and intermittent rain in Madurai, devotees thronged the venue to witness the ceremony marking the liberation of Manduga Maharishi.
Later in the night, the deity was taken to Ramarayar Mandagapadi, where the Dasavatharam ritual was performed. The event saw a large turnout of devotees, who braved the weather conditions to participate in the religious proceedings.
