In the storied history of the Tirunelveli Nellaippar and Gandhimathi Amman Temple, an unprecedented incident occurred yesterday when the ropes of the temple chariot snapped one after another, bringing the event to an abrupt halt. Devotees expressed deep disappointment, calling it a bad omen and blaming the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department for using substandard ropes.
In Tamil Nadu, temple festivals are a significant cultural tradition, especially during April, May, and June. These celebrations often span beyond ten days, culminating in the temple chariot being paraded along the principal streets surrounding the temple. Major temples such as those in Tiruvarur, Madurai, Kumbakonam, Srivilliputhur, and Srirangam host these processions with grandeur and religious fervor.
Similarly, in Tirunelveli, devotees eagerly awaited the Aani Car Festival at the Swami Nellaiyappar Gandhimathi Amman Temple. This annual event features the chariots of Swami Nellaiyappar, Gandhimathi Amman, Vinayagar, and Subramaniyar being pulled around the temple’s car streets during the Tamil month of Aani. The grand Swami Nellaiyappar chariot, constructed in 1505 CE and originally featuring 13 decks, has been reduced to five decks over the years to facilitate easier navigation.
நெல்லையப்பர் கோயில் ஆனி தேரோட்டத்தில் மூன்று வடம் அறுந்துவிட்டது. இதனை மாற்றக்கோரி பலமுறை கோரிக்கை விடுத்தும் அறநிலையத்துறை அலட்சியம் காட்டியதன் விளைவு தான் என்று பக்தர்கள் குற்றம் சாட்டியுள்ளனர் @PKSekarbabu @tnhrcedept pic.twitter.com/H7fUwUomrm
— தங்க.காளிப்பாண்டி (@sureshkalipandi) June 21, 2024
On June 21, District Collector K.P. Karthikeyan, Mayor P.M. Saravanan, Congress MP Robert Bruce, BJP MLA Nainar Nagenthran, and DMK MLA M. Abdul Wahab formally inaugurated the event. The 85-foot-tall, 450-tonne chariot was drawn at 7:18 a.m.
However, three of the four ropes connected to the Swami Nellaiyappar chariot snapped shortly after, disappointing devotees who blamed the HR&CE Department for not procuring quality ropes.
HR&CE officials quickly sourced another rope to resume the festival at 8:20 a.m., but this rope also snapped immediately. Undeterred, they decided to proceed with the remaining three ropes, only for another rope to snap, halting the festival once again within an hour. The chariot came to a standstill between Swami and Ambal Sannidhi on East Car Street.
After a brief commotion, a chain was attached to the chariot at 8:55 a.m. to continue the festival. Devotees expressed their frustration and anger over the unfortunate occurrences.
One devotee captured in a video shared on social media lamented, “They asked us to pull the chariot from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM. Three ropes snapped immediately after pulling. These ropes seem to be over 50 years old and of poor quality. Authorities and politicians are nowhere to be found now.”
தேரை ஒரு அடி கூட இழுக்கல அதுக்குள்ள அறுந்து போச்சு. இது எவ்ளோ பெரிய அபசகுனம்.518வருஷத்துல ஒரு தடவ கூட இப்டி ஆனதில்ல. இவங்க என்னதிருவிழா நடத்துறாங்க, உண்டியல் வெச்சு காசு மட்டும் வசூல் பண்றாங்க நெல்லையப்பர் கோயில் 518ஆண்டு ஆனி தேரோட்டத்தில் தேரின்வடம் திடீரென அறுந்ததால் பரபரப்பு pic.twitter.com/CzM6WCwZNK
— தங்க.காளிப்பாண்டி (@sureshkalipandi) June 21, 2024
Another devotee pointed out the significance of the incident, noting that in the temple’s 518-year history, the ropes of the chariot had never snapped. “This is a failure of the HR&CE department. Despite repeated requests to replace the old ropes, nothing was done. What kind of festival are they organising? The temple collects crores in donations, yet they can’t provide new ropes?”
நெல்லையப்பர் கோயில் ஆனி தேரோட்டத்தில் மூன்று வடம் அறுந்துவிட்டது. இதனை மாற்றக்கோரி பலமுறை கோரிக்கை விடுத்தும் அறநிலையத்துறை அலட்சியம் காட்டியதன் விளைவு தான் என்று பக்தர்கள் குற்றம் சாட்டியுள்ளனர் @PKSekarbabu @tnhrcedept pic.twitter.com/H7fUwUomrm
— தங்க.காளிப்பாண்டி (@sureshkalipandi) June 21, 2024
When temple workers attempted to replace the ropes with iron chains, Hindu Munnani members strongly objected, accusing the HR&CE of negligence. Eventually, ropes were sourced from the Arulmigu Subramanya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur. After the new ropes arrived, the chariot procession resumed and continued smoothly, albeit delayed by several hours, finally reaching the temple around 9:30 p.m.
Temple activist T.R. Ramesh, taking to his social media handle, vowed to move court to legally remove the HR&CE officials from their positions, citing gross mismanagement and negligence.
