Thanjavur readies for Big Temple consecration on February 5

The consecration of the 1,000-year-old famed Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur will take place on February 5 after a gap of 23 years with more than a million devotees expected to attend the massive ceremony and offer prayers.

The temple town of Thanjavur, 350 kms from here, is already decked up to welcome lakhs of people from across south India for the consecration. The much-awaited event kicked off on Saturday with yagasalai poojas, while the maha poornahuthi (the main puja) will take place on February 5.

Since the main temple premises can accommodate only a few thousand people, separate pandals have been erected inside the sprawling complex to facilitate lakhs of people to sit and watch the poojas on giant television screens.

District officials said massive arrangements have been made by the administration to ensure that the event takes place without any trouble. After much deliberations, the government has announced it would stick to the old practice of reciting slogans in both Tamil and Sanskrit.

The temple, which is being maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), is being renovated with a fresh coat of paint and other restructuring work by the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.

The consecration of the temple is being held after a gap of 23 years – the last event held in 1997 was delayed by a day as a massive fire has engulfed the yagasalai leading to the death of 40 people in a stampede. An architectural marvel, the Brihadeeswara Temple is one of the oldest and most famous Lord Shiva temples in south India, attracting thousands of tourists and devotees from across the country every day.

The temple, which is believed to be built between 1003 and 1010 AD, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the temple built by King Raja Raja Cholan of the famed Chola dynasty gets ready for the event, a controversy on whether to hold the temple’s consecration in Sanskrit or Tamil has broken out.