Umbrella atop chariot of Sri Narasimhar tilts during procession

The chariot bearing the utsava idol of Sri Narasimhar belonging to the Sri Parthasarathy Perumal temple had to stop for nearly 45 minutes on Wednesday morning after the umbrella atop its vimana tilted. 

Sources said that the chariot, which started by 7 a.m. as part of the annual Aani Brahmotsavam, was stopped around 8.30 a.m. when the umbrella with a flag nearly came off its hinges. “Three men used the help of an extended ladder on the Fire services vehicle to secure the umbrella to the top of the vimana,” said Sarathy, a devotee, who was present during the incident.

Official sources in the temple said that it was a minor incident and that there was a slightly strong wind, which caused the umbrella to lose balance. The chariot passed the usual cable wire without any issue, the same way the Parthasarathy Perumal chariot did during the previous Brahmotsavam.

A retired official of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department said that temple chariots usually have a vimana and a kalasam (pot with holy waters) on top. When the deity is brought out of the temple for procession, the vimana and kalasam are symbolic representations of the temple itself. 

“The umbrella and flag are just additions. Also, in this case, the road below is cement concrete and is not smooth for the wheels of the chariot and as a result, the entire structure vibrates. This could have caused the umbrella to come loose. Some kind of cushioning should be given for the wheels to prevent such incidents in future,” he said. The temple chariot reached its starting point by 9.30 a.m. soon after which the priests performed Thirumanjanam for the deity.