Aani car festival 2025 Nellaiyappar Temple Palayamkottai.com

The ancient city of Tirunelveli is all set to celebrate the revered ‘Aani’ car festival of Sri Nellaiyappar Temple, one of the most significant religious events in Tamil Nadu. With the festival’s grandeur attracting thousands of devotees every year, a high-level review meeting was recently held to ensure all arrangements are in place for the smooth conduct of this sacred event.

District Collector R. Sukumar chaired a preparatory meeting at the Collectorate on Monday to oversee the detailed arrangements. The festival begins with the ceremonial flag-hoisting on June 30, and the much-awaited car festival is scheduled for July 8, where devotees will gather to pull Tamil Nadu’s third-largest temple chariot along the four main streets surrounding the Nellaiyappar Temple.

Key Preparations Reviewed:

• Traffic and Crowd Control:
  Police will be deployed strategically along the chariot path to manage the crowd and enforce necessary traffic diversions. Notably, west-bound traffic from Tirunelveli Junction will be rerouted through Bharathi Street, South Mount Road, West Mount Road, and Courtallam Road to ease congestion.

• Electrical Safety Measures:
  Officials from the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) will inspect electric poles, transformers, and cables around the temple to ensure public safety.

• Road and Sanitation Work:
  The Tirunelveli Corporation has been directed to assess the road conditions along the chariot route. Damaged roads will be either repaired or freshly laid to facilitate the smooth movement of the temple car.
  Additionally, sanitary workers will be deployed to sprinkle bleaching powder and ensure timely garbage collection around the temple premises and approach roads.

• Highway Repairs:
  The Department of Highways has been instructed to urgently resurface the stretch between Tirunelveli Town Arch and the temple, a critical route that sees heavy vehicle traffic.

• Emergency and Health Services:
  The Fire and Rescue Services Department will station a fire tender near the temple. Moreover, the Department of Public Health will set up health posts with ambulances and essential medicines to handle any medical emergencies.

• Public Transport Arrangements:
  To accommodate the influx of devotees, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate special buses on festival day to reduce crowding and ease transportation.

The review meeting also saw the participation of Corporation Commissioner N.O. Sukhaputra, District Revenue Officer M. Suganya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Tirunelveli West) Prasannakumar, and other senior department officials.

With such meticulous planning in place, Tirunelveli is set to witness a vibrant and spiritually uplifting Aani Car Festival this year, ensuring both safety and sanctity for thousands of devotees.