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Chithirai Festival Dates : April 29 - May 10, 2024

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Also Refered As:

Meenakshi Tirukalyanam

Chithirai Festival, Madurai Overview

The Chithirai Festival, also known as Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, is one of the grandest temple festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu. Held annually in the city of Madurai, this festival commemorates the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi (an incarnation of Parvati) and Lord Sundareshwarar (Lord Shiva). Known for its vibrant processions, elaborate rituals, and cultural significance, the Chithirai Festival draws thousands of devotees and tourists who gather to witness this spectacle of faith and tradition.

About Chithirai Festival

The Chithirai Festival, celebrated in the Tamil month of Chithirai (April-May), spans over two weeks and is one of the longest and most elaborate temple festivals in India. This grand celebration is divided into two parts:
  • Meenakshi Tirukalyanam: The first part of the festival focuses on the divine wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwarar.
  • Azhagar Festival: The second part revolves around the journey of Lord Kallazhagar (an incarnation of Vishnu) to the Vaigai River.
The festival highlights the unity of the Shaivite and Vaishnavite traditions, making it a unique and inclusive celebration of Tamil culture and devotion.

Dates for Chithirai Festival 2025

In 2025, the Chithirai Festival will begin on April 29 and conclude on May 10. The key events, such as Meenakshi’s coronation, the celestial wedding, and Kallazhagar’s entry into the Vaigai River, will take place during this period. Devotees are encouraged to check the official temple schedule for precise timings of the rituals and processions.

Madurai Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple Chithirai Thiruvizha 2025

The Chithirai Thiruvizha begins on April 29, 2025 (Tuesday). The detailed schedule is given below:

Schedule

  • 28 April 2025 - Monday: Vaasthu Shanti
  • 29 April 2025 - Tuesday - Day 1:
    • Morning: Chithirai Thiruvizha Kodiyetram - Kodiyetram Time: (will update soon...)
    • Morning: Velli Simhasanam Vahanam
    • Night: 7 pm to 10.30 pm - Karpaga Vriksha, Simha Vahanam
  • 30 April 2025 - Wednesday - Day 2:
    • Morning: 7 am to 9.30 am - Thanga Chaparam
    • Night: 7 pm to 10.30 pm - Bootha, Anna Vahanam
  • 1 May 2025 - Thursday - Day 3:
    • Morning: 7 am to 9.30 am - Thanga Chaparam
    • Night: 7 pm to 10.30 pm - Kailasa Parvadham, Kamadhenu Vahanam
  • 2 May 2025 - Friday - Day 4:
    • Morning: 9 am - Thanga Pallakku
    • Night: 6 pm to 9.30 pm - Thanga Pallakku
  • 3 May 2025 - Saturday - Day 5:
    • Morning: 9 am - Thanga Chaparam
    • Night: 7 pm to 9.30 pm - Thanga Guthirai Vahanam - Vedar Pari Leelai
  • 4 May 2025 - Sunday - Day 6:
    • Morning: 7.30 am to 10.30 am - Thanga Chaparam
    • Evening: 6 pm - Thirugnanasambandar Saiva Samaya Sthabitha Varalatru Leelai depicted by Odhuvar
    • Night: 7.30 pm to 11.00 pm - Rishaba Vahanam (Thanga Rishabam, Velli Rishabam)
  • 5 May 2025 - Monday - Day 7:
    • Morning: 8 am to 10.30 am - Sri Gangalanathar alone Maasi Veethi Ezhuntharulal - Thanga Chaparam
    • 12 pm Noon - Swami Ambal Ezhuntharulal inside Temple
    • Night: 7 pm to 10.30 pm - Nantheekeshwarar, Yaali Vahanam
  • 6 May 2025 - Tuesday - Day 8:
    • Morning: 10 am - Thanga Pallakku
    • Evening: Sree Meenakshi Pattabhishekam (Pattabhishekam Time: will update soon...)
    • Night: 9 pm to 11 pm - Velli Simhasana Ula
  • 7 May 2025 - Wednesday - Day 9:
    • Morning: 7 am to 9.30 am - Maravarna Chaparam
    • Evening/Night: 6 pm to 11.30 pm - Sree Meenakshi Digvijayam - Indira Vimana Ula
  • 8 May 2025 - Thursday - Day 10 - Thirukalyanam:
    • Morning: 4 am - Velli Simhasanam
    • 6 am - Thiruparankundram Sri Subramanya Swami & Arulmigu Pavala Kanivai Perumal Ezhuntharulal
    • Kanni Oonjal (after Veethi Ula)
    • Morning: Sree Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Thirukalyanam (Thirukalyanam Time: will update soon...)
    • Night: 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm - Thanga Ambaariyudan Koodiya Yaanai Vahanam, Pushpa Pallakku

When is the Madurai Chithirai Festival Celebrated?

Streets packed with devotees during Chithirai festival procession
Streets packed with devotees during Chithirai festival procession
source

The Chithirai festival is celebrated in the month of Chithirai of the traditional Tamil calendar. The Chithirai month is the Tamil counterpart of the central Sanskrit month of Chaitra. Chithirai is the first month of the Tamil calendar, and the festivities go on for the whole month.

The exact dates of the beginning and end of Chithirai vary in the Gregorian calendar. However, it generally falls in April and May. Broadly, the Chithirai festival has been divided into two parts of fifteen days each. The first fifteen days of the festival is spent in celebrating the investiture of goddess Meenakshi as well as in celebrations of the goddess's marriage with Lord Sundareswara. Whereas, the last fifteen days of Chithirai festival is celebrated in remembrance of the journey of Lord Alagar from Alagar Koyil's KallAlagar temple to the city of Madurai. 

Where is the Chithirai Festival Celebrated? 

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
source

The Chithirai festival, since it marks the wedding of Lord Sundareswara and Goddess Meenakshi which took place in Madurai; is celebrated in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The festivities begin from the Meenakshi Temple in the Vailagi village of Madurai and takes to the streets of the city as well as the Vaigai River as the celebration continues.

How is the Chithirai Festival Celebrated? The Revival of the Legends

Some different events take place during the month of Chithirai of the Tamil Calendar, as parts of the Chithirai festival. The devotees make the month of Chithirai as a revisit to the world of legends of Goddess Meenakshi, Lord Sundareswara, and Lord Alagar. 

Kodi Yetram
The Meenakshi temple in the Vailagi village of Madurai is where the Chithirai festival begins. The chief priest of the temple hoists a flag from the temple and fixes it in the flag post of the temple, marking the beginning of the month-long celebration. The flag remains atop the Meenakshi Temple until the conclusion of the Chithirai month, till celebrations go on.

Meenakshi’s Coronation (Pattabhishekam)
Pattabisekam refers to the coronation ceremony. The festival begins with the coronation ceremony of Goddess Meenakshi at the Meenakshi Amman Temple. This event marks her ascension as the queen of Madurai, setting the stage for the subsequent festivities.

Dikvijayam
The event of Dikvijayam in the Chithirai festival remembers the valor by which Queen Meenakshi conquered the whole world, and fell in love with Lord Shiva upon facing him on the Kailasham Mountain when she went there to conquer it. 

Meenakshi Thirukalyanam
Celebrating the marriage of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswara
Celebrating the marriage of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswara
source

This is the grandest of celebrations of the festival of Chithirai. It marks the wedding of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Sundareswara (Lord Shiva). The celebration like that of a wedding is celebrated each year on occasion, reliving Lord Shiva's visit with his Devas and rishis to Madurai to marry Meenakshi. 

Kallazhagar’s Entry into the Vaigai River
One of the most awaited events is the journey of Lord Kallazhagar from his temple in Alagar Kovil to the Vaigai River. The deity’s grand procession, accompanied by devotees dressed in traditional attire, is a sight to behold. The moment when Kallazhagar enters the river is celebrated with great enthusiasm, as it is believed to bless the city and its people.

Ther Thiruvizha
The Ther Thiruvizha takes place on the very next day of Meenakshi Thirukalyanam. It is an event in which the idols of Lord Sundareswara and Goddess Meenakshi are taken out in a chariot in the streets of Madurai. It is seen as the first meeting of the newly married rulers with their subjects. A large procession is taken out, in which people participate in large numbers, seeking blessings by looking at and pulling the chariot.   

Ethir Sevai
Local traditions consider Lord Alagar as a brother of Goddess Meenakshi. The celebration of Ethir Sevai marks the event when Lord Alagar changed his appearance to that of a robber to save himself from any attack while he was on the way to attend the wedding of Meenakshi with Sundareswara.

Alagar Vaigai Elenthuarulal
According to the legend, Lord Alagar lived in Alagarkoil. He was on his way to attend the royal wedding of Meenakshi with Sundareswara. He traveled all the way from Alagarkoil towards Madurai. However, when he reached the Vaigai River, he came to know that the wedding ceremony was already done with. He met with Meenakshi and Sundareswara in the Vaigai River. The fact that the wedding got over before his arrival infuriated him, and he decided not to enter the city of Madurai at all. He gave the gifts to the couple and returned to Alagarkoil. The event is replayed according to the narration every year by the devotees in a mandapam prepared in the middle of the Vaigai River. 

Madurai Chithirai Festival History & Mythology- A Town Revisits the Past

The grand procession of the Chithirai festival
The grand procession of the Chithirai festival
source

The Shaiva Festival


The story of Goddess Meenakshi extends back to the time of Pandya king, Malayadhwaja Pandian. Malayadhwaja Pandian and his wife, Kanchana Malai, did not have a child. So, in the hope of birth of a child in his household, the king performed a special pooja to please the god so that he may be blessed with a child. During the pooja, a girl came out of the ceremonial fire and sat on the king's lap. At the same time, a voice told the king that the girl was a manifestation of Shiva's wife, Shakti herself and that Lord Shiva himself would marry her when the right time arrives. The girl was named Meenakshi, who, being the beloved heir of the king Malayadhwaja Pandian, was crowned as the next ruler after the king's death. Meenakshi was given proper training of the warfare, and once she became the ruler, she conquered a large part of the world. However, when she reached Mount Kailasham, she was confronted by Lord Shiva himself. Upon seeing Shiva, she fell in love with him. Moreover, she learned that she was an incarnation of Shakti. Shiva assured Meenakshi that he would come to Madurai and marry her. As promised, he came along with his companions to the city of Madurai and married Meenakshi. He is said to have ruled the Pandya kingdom, under the name of Sundara Pandyan.

Thus, the day of Meenakshi's coronation as the ruler of the Pandya kingdom is celebrated in the initial days of the one-month-long festival. After that, within the first fifteen days, Goddess Meenakshi's marriage with Lord Shiva is also celebrated. This festival has been carried out by the followers of the Shaiva tradition for a long time in history.

The Vaishnava Festival

The Alagar hills had a sacred water body by the name of Aagaayagangai. One day rishi Mandooka was taking a bath in it. During his bath, Maharshi Durvasa arrived at the spot. Maharshi Durvasa is known for being short-tempered, who happens to be the one to curse Sakuntala too. Mandooka rishi did not notice that Maharshi Durvasa was around him. This infuriated Durvasa who cursed Mandooka to turn into a frog and live in the Vaigai River. The curse could only be lifted if Mandooka-turned-frog would dwell in the Viagai River and pray to Lord Alagar for forgiveness. Mandooka did it to please Lord Alagar, who visited Mandooka and took him out from the water himself. Moreover, he showed Mandooka all the ten Avatars of his, when Mandooka asked for it. The followers of the Vaishnava tradition celebrated this Alagar event.

The two festivals were celebrated distinctly a long time ago. It was during the reign of King Thirumalai Nayakar that the two festivals were merged. The two festivals were combined into a grand celebration, which since then, is being carried out in the month of Chithirai of the Tamil Calendar, thus acquiring its name. The merger not only brought together the celebrations of the two festivals but also brought the community of followers of the two traditions together.

How to Reach Madurai

To reach Madurai by train, the nearest railway is located within the city, namely, Madurai Junction Railway Station. However, the major railway station, well-connected to other parts of the country, is the Chennai Central Railway Station, located at a distance of 465 kilometers from Madurai. A train can be taken from Chennai Central to reach Madurai.

Going by airways, the nearest airport is the Madurai Airport, which is located at an approximate distance of 10 kilometers from the central city.

An aerial view of Madurai
An aerial view of Madurai
source

The Chithirai festival is one of the most significant festivals of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It attracts lakhs of people from all over the country and abroad each year. The devotees of the Shiava and Vaishnava traditions have kept their legends alive by performing them on an annual basis, sharing the tales and beliefs in a way that will never be forgotten. The Chithirai festival is a most spectacular festival that is an absolute delight to witness and participate in.

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