Uchchi Pillayar to miss usual mega kozhukattai this year also

TIRUCHY: The mega kozhukkattai to be offered to Lord Vinayagar during Chaturthi celebrations at Uchchi Pillayar shrine atop the Rockfort temple in Tiruchy will be missing this year too owing to the COVID-19 restrictions, said temple sources here on Thursday

Since there are pandemic restrictions on the public celebration of festivals, the Ganesh Chaturthi festival at Uchchi Pillayar temple would be held without devotees this year too. However, the usual poojas would be performed as per the traditional agama rules by temple priests and in presence of the staff. All entry points to the temple would be closed for devotees. Usually, the temple staff would prepare a big

kozhukkattai weighing between 75 and 60 kg ahead of the festival and it would be divided into two and offered each to Manicka Vinayagar Sannidhi at the foot of the Rockfort temple and the other at Uchchi Pillayar shrine atop the Rockfort temple and later, it would be distributed to devotees as prasadam after the special poojas. Following this, a veedhi ula (procession) of Bala Ganapathy, the main event, would be conducted.

This time, since the devotees are not allowed, the temple staff have started preparing small kozhukkattai to offer to Lord Vinayaka. Meanwhile, police security has been tightened around the temple to avert any untoward incidents as a few outfits have announced the celebration of the festival at Uchchi Pillayar temple.