Garland of 1.08 lakh vadas getting ready for Hanuman jayanti in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal

Namakkal: The presiding deity of the Anjaneyar temple here will be adorned with a garland strung with one lakh and eight vadas on Hanuman jayanti on December 19, a source at the temple said on Tuesday.

The unique idol of Lord Hanuman, in standing posture, is 18 feet in height. The image is said to have been carved out of a single stone.

About 33 men, who are experts in making the South Indian delicacy of the crispy deep-fried snack regularly offered to Lord Hanuman, are involved in making the vada.

"We are thirty-three men who have come from Srirangam to make the 1.08 lakh vada mala for Lord Hanuman. We are making it for the eleventh successive year," R K Ramesh, who leads the team, said.

The work to prepare the vada for Hanuman jayanti commenced on December 15 evening. It has been planned to complete the task by the evening of December 18.

"We will start stringing 1,00,008 vada from 4 pm on December 18 and at 12 midnight we will hand over the malas to the temple priests to decorate the Lord. Darshan for devotees will begin at 5 am on December 19," Ramesh told reporters here.

About 2,200 kg of urad dal powder, 35 kg pepper, 32 kg jeera (cumin), 82 kg salt, and 600 litres of gingelly oil would be used to make the mammoth garland, Ramesh said.