The traditional Puravi Eduppu (Ceremonial Horse Procession) festival was celebrated with great devotion at the Aadheenamilagi Ayyanar Temple in Thenmaappattu village near Tiruppathur in Sivaganga district.
As part of the festival, residents of the five participating villages gathered at the Savukkai on the evening of June 19 and performed the customary Pidiman ritual. On June 26, villagers desilted the temple tank, locally known as Sengai, located in front of the Ayyanar Temple, as part of the traditional festival preparations.
On Friday evening, villagers assembled once again at the Savukkai and offered prayers at the Arulmigu Akkasalai Vinayagar Temple. They then proceeded in a procession to the Chinnaiya Temple, where the deity was ceremonially invoked before continuing towards Puduppatti.
A notable highlight of the event was the warm reception extended by members of the Muslim community residing on Samasthan Mosque Street. They welcomed the procession by garlanding the deity and presenting a ceremonial shawl, making the occasion a shining example of religious harmony and communal unity.
At Puduppatti, villagers, priests, and traditional oracles received the procession with due honours. Subsequently, seven ceremonial horses were taken in procession through Pudukkottai Road, Moolakkadai, Vaaniyan Koil Street, and Samasthan Nagar before reaching Thenmaappattu.
The ceremonial horses arrived at the Puravi Pottal in Thenmaappattu on Friday night, where special poojas and Deeparadhana were performed by the villagers.
More than 1,000 people, including village elders, residents, women devotees, pilgrims, and members of the public, participated in the celebrations. Police personnel made elaborate security arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.
As part of the festivities, the "Valli Thirumanam" traditional stage drama was organized during the night by the family of RVKS Manikandan, adding a cultural dimension to the temple festival.