Work begins for Rs 1.4 crore new temple chariot in Coimbatore’s Perur Patteeswarar Temple

Coimbatore: Work on a new ceremonial temple chariot for the nearly 1,000-year-old Arulmigu Patteeswarar Temple at Perur began on Sunday with the traditional ‘Balakal Poojai’, after officials found structural weakness in the existing main chariot that has been in use for several years.The Balakal Poojai was held at the temple ground in the morning amid Vedic chants. Backward classes welfare minister S Sampathkumar participated and formally inaugurated the work by performing rituals and sprinkling holy water on the first wooden pillar. Officials said the work would be taken up in full swing from Sunday, with the new chariot expected to be ready for next year’s Panguni Uthiram procession.According to temple sources, recent inspections flagged reduced fitness in the wooden beams and internal framework of the old chariot, raising safety concerns for devotees who pull it during the festival. To protect devotees and preserve the temple’s heritage, the temple administration and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department decided to commission a replacement chariot with intricate sculptural work. An allocation of about Rs 1.4 crore has been made for the project.HR&CE Deputy commissioner Vimala, regional assistant commissioner Usha Nandhini, Perur temple assistant commissioner Sathyavathi, the sthapathi, designers and temple staff were among those present at Sunday’s ritual.The temple, located on the banks of the Noyyal river, is among the prominent Shaivite centres in Tamil Nadu and is known for its Panguni Uthiram festival, when the deity and goddess are taken in procession through the streets. The annual chariot procession draws large crowds and is considered the highlight of the celebrations.