Jayankondam: The annual ‘Aippasi Pournami Annaabishekam’ was performed the massive Shiva Lingam at the Sri Bragateeshwarar temple at historic Gangaikondacholapuram near Jayankondam in Ariyalur district on Monday.
In all 2,500-kg of raw rice was cooked for this purpose and poured on the Shiva Lingam and ‘Maha Deepaaraathanai’ was performed to Lord Shiva here tonight, in which thousands of devotees from different far and near including a few foreign tourists took part.
Similar ‘Annaabishekam’ was also performed at almost all the popular Shiva temples at Tiruchy, Karur, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Pudukkottai, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam districts today, while some of the Shiva temple authorities in these districts have planned to perform the ‘Annaabishekam’ on Tuesday. This is a unique festival celebrated every year.
Priests perform the special ritual of bathing the Shiva Linga at the famous temple in Gangaikondacholapuram in connection with the ‘Ippasi Pournami’ festival. Hundreds of devotees including some foreigners witnessed the grand spectacle of huge quantities of cooked rice being poured on the deity.
