Madurai’s Meenakshi Amman Temple Resumes Sacred Water Ritual from Vaigai River

Madurai’s Meenakshi Amman Temple in Tamil Nadu, India, has restarted its traditional practice of drawing sacred water from the Vaigai River for daily rituals. This practice had been paused for four years due to the COVID lockdown.

The sacred water is drawn from a well in the river and carried to the temple in a grand procession, accompanied by music and elephants. Devotees are thrilled to see the revival of this ancient custom, which is an essential part of the temple’s daily rituals.

The temple priest uses the sacred water for special pujas and abhishekam. The Meenakshi Amman Temple is a famous pilgrimage site, known for its stunning architectural style, including 14 temple towers and a 1000-pillared hall with intricately sculpted pillars. The temple also features musical pillars that produce different sounds.

The temple has a rich history, mentioned in ancient texts and restored to its original glory in the 14th century after being devastated in 1310. Major festivals like the Navarathri festival in September-October, Avani Moolam Festival in August-September, and Masi Mandala Utsavam in February-March draw large crowds to the temple.