Mīnākṣī Tirukalyāṇam 2008

Mīnākṣī Tirukalyāṇam, the centrepiece of the Cittirai Tiruviḻā at the Mīnākṣī Amman Temple in Madurai, celebrates the divine wedding of Goddess Mīnākṣī (an avatar of Pārvatī) to Lord Sundareśvara (Śiva). Lord Viṣṇu, worshipped here as Mīnākṣī's brother Aḻagar, travels from Aḻagar Kōvil to give the bride away, and this procession is one of the most celebrated moments of the festival.

The full festival spans twelve days, from the flag-hoisting (Koḍi Ēṟṟam) through the coronation (Paṭṭābhiṣēkam), the divine conquest (Digvijayam), the wedding itself (Tirukalyāṇam), the temple car procession (Tērōṭṭam), and finally the sacred bathing festival (Tīrtham).