CHITHIRAI FESTIVAL

CHITHIRAI FESTIVAL

AT

MADURAI

The Chitrai festival celebrations begin with the hoisting of the flag in the temple. The celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwarar is celebrated every year in Madurai during the Chithirai Festival. Devotees on this auspicious day celebrate by riding a golden chariot with the idols of the god and the goddess.

The journey around the city is accompanied with drum beats, flowers incense sticks and camphor. The spiritual ambience is heightened with the offerings made by the devotees like sweets and coconut.

A fair is organized on this day. Devotees traveling from different parts of the country visit the fair after the festival. The ten day festivity is a time of the year when devotees from different social and regional background gather together to celebrate and worship

Madurai is a popular festival in southern India. Madurai is popularly known as the City of Festivals. The festivals of Madurai are well known for their color and vivaciousness. Devotees gather in large numbers and worship the gods and goddesses. 

Chithirai Festival, Madurai includes a procession of Lord Vishnu, locally known as Lord Kallazhagar. The brother of Goddess Meenakshi, Lord Vishnu travels from his abode in Azhagarmalai to get his sister married to Lord Sundareshwarar. This journey from his abode to his sister’s wedding, on a golden chariot, is the legend behind celebrating the Chithirai Festival, Madurai.

   

April 10th 2016	Sunday	chitrai Thiruvizla kodiyetram (Flag Hosting) karpaga virutsha simha vahanam
April 11th	Monday	Bootha anna vahanam
April 12th	Tues day	Kailasa parvadham,kamadhenu vahanam
April 13th	Wednesday	Thanga pallauku
April 14th	Thursday	Vedar pari leelai   thanga kuthirai vahanam
April 15th	Friday	Saiva samayasthibitha varalaru leelai  rishbha vahanam
April16th	Saturday	Nanthikeshwarar , yaali vahanam
April17th	Sunday	Sree meenakshi pattabishekam, veli simhasana ula
April18th	Monday	Sree meenakshi dikvijayam, indra vimna ula
April19th	Tuesday	Sree meenakshi sundareshwarar thirukalyanam, (celestial wedding) yanai vahanam, pushpa pallaku
April20th	Wednesday	Thiru ther –therotam  chariot car festival
April 21th	Thursday	Theertham,velli virurtchaba sevai
April 21th	Thursday	Kallazhagar, thallakulathil ethir sevai
April 22th	Friday	Sri kallazhagar vaigai atril erunguthal
April23th	Saturday	Kallazhagar shsha vahanam in vandiyur,garudha vahanam in afternoon,dasavatharam katchi in ramarayar mandapam at night.
April24th	Sunday	Kallazhagar thirukolam in pushpa pallaku at mysore mandapam.
April25th	Monday	Sri kallahagar thirumalai eluntharulal.

By Air

Madurai airport is just 10 km away from the main city and it is well connected to all major cities of India. Nearest international airport is Chennai. There are daily flights from Chennai, Trichy, Bengaluru and Coimbatore. Taxis are available from the airport to the city.

By Train

Direct trains are available from many cities of India. From Chennai it takes seven hours to reach Madurai and trains run daily. The fastest train on the route is the Vaigai Express, a super-fast day train between Chennai Egmore and Madurai.

By Bus

The city of Madurai is well connected by all southern parts of India. The bus terminus is at a distance of 6kms from the city. One can book AC as well as Non AC buses as per the need. Good connectivity leads to a good frequency of transport facilities for the travellers. So distances should not be a concern

GOLDEN TEMPLE

GOLDEN TEMPLE 

AT 

AMRITSAR

 

The Golden temple is also known as Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib. It is a significant Sikh temple, which is located in the city of Amritsar. It is the central Gurdwara or Sikh place of worship the world over. Thousands of people visit the Golden Temple every year and is one of the most visited places in Punjab. The proper name is Harmandir which means "temple of God", while some refer it to as darbar, which means "court". The Golden Temple has some unique features.

The temple is overlaid in the center of a sarovar or pool. The pilgrims bathe in the pool. People believe that the water has healing properties that can cure many diseases.

People gather here to listen to hymns, and also pay respect to the Guru Granth Sahib Holy Scripture being read here. Langar - a meal provided to all the pilgrims who visit is a free meal which is prepared in the Golden Temple. The preparations are carried out by worshipers and pilgrims and volunteers. Donations are made by people, which is used for the cost of the meal and maintenance of the temple.

The lessons taught here are of egalitarianism and humility. The four entrances symbolize the unity of people from all walks of life.

The main building of the Golden Temple is surrounded by a lake. People of all religions come here in huge numbers to offer prayers and take a dip in this supposedly holy lake.

The long path in the lake is the approach to the main temple. Inspite of round the clock devotees, discipline prevails.

The Golden Temple can be visited anytime. The time of festivals can be the best time to visit the temple. However, this period attracts huge crowds. Summer is too hot and winter too cold. So the best time to visit is October and March

Golden temple is located in Amritsar, in Punjab, India. It is situated in the Majha region of the state of Punjab.

 By Road

The Golden Temple can be reached by road, train and air. While in Amritsar, one can easily reach by taking a taxi to the Golden temple. Other forms of local transport here are cycle rickshaws and city buses. Other cities are also well connected to the Golden Temple. Delhi is 435 km and Chandigarh is 235 km from the Golden Temple.

By Train

Amritsar is well connected by rail with Mumbai, Varanasi, Delhi, Kolkata and other major places in India.

By Air

Amritsar is also well connected by air to other parts of the country. One can easily fly from Delhi and Srinagar to Amritsar. Most of the flights are from Delhi, which is an hour away. There are international connections as well.