Temples gearing up for Sura Samharam festivities in Chennai

The utsava idol of Lord Kandaswamy at Tiruporur during the procession on Saturday evening.

The idols of ‘Suran’ during the procession on Saturday evening.

If you haven’t witnessed a Sura Samharam as yet and are in the city, then make sure you make time on Monday evening to visit the Kandaswamy Temple at Thiruporur where you can see Lord Muruga fight seven ‘Suras’. The temple administration has made elaborate arrangements to ensure safety of the crowds that gather from nearby villages.  

The event where Lord Muruga takes the ‘Vel’ from Devi Meenakshi and fights and slays the ‘Suran’ to mark ‘Kanda Sashti’, will happen from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. near the eastern Rajagopuram. “We expect around 10,000 devotees to witness the event during which you can see people poking the ‘Suran’ dolls with their own arrows. Police personnel are being stationed to manage the crowds. We have earmarked space for car parking. The place where the ‘Samharam’ takes place will be barricaded. Traffic diversions too would be in place to ensure that pedestrian movement is not hampered,” explained Kumaravel, Executive Officer of the temple.  

The temple has a tradition of getting new dolls of ‘Suran’ made every year. There are six tall dolls made using bamboo frames and filled with hay, jute ropes and paper machie. These dolls are made every year by a family of artisans from near Puducherry. They also take part in the daily procession of the presiding deity.  

At the Vadapalani Andavar temple, the annual ‘Laksharchanai’ is under way and on Monday, the ‘Sura Samharam’ will be held from 8 p.m. in front of the Rajagopuram. “We expect around 50,000 devotees on that day and it is estimated that 1.5 lakh devotees would take part in the entire festival. On Tuesday evening, the temple has arranged a wedding feast for a thousand persons for the Tirukalyanam,” explained Executive Officer Hariharan. 

‘Sura Samharam’ will be conducted at Siruvapuri temple in Tiruvallur district and Kandaswamy temple in Kandakottam in the Flower Bazaar area from 6 p.m. on the Gujili Bajaar Road on Monday evening. The event will go on for about an hour and the deity will be aloft a golden horse, explained Abhilash Gurukkal at the Kandakottam temple.

Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P. K. Sekarbabu said that he has instructed executive officers of all Murugan temples to ensure the smooth conduct of ‘Sura Samharam’.

“Depending on the expected crowd, police watch towers, parking space and traffic diversions will be put in place. Drinking water and temporary toilets too will be provided,” he said after taking part in the chanting of ‘Kanda Sasti Kavacham’ by students of Ekambaranathar School and Karpagambal Arts and Science College at the Kandakottam Kandaswamy temple on Saturday. “Over 2,400 students from schools and colleges run by various temples are participating in the chanting during the Kanda Sashti festival,” he added.