A low key turnout due to strict COVID-19 restrictions, was witnessed at the famous shrine of Lord Saturn in Tirunallar in the union territory of Puducherry on Sunday on the occasion of ‘Sani Peyarchi’ festival.
Devotees entering the temple were scanned with thermometers. They were not allowed to take a holy dip in the temple tank.
The bells of Lord Saneeswara Temple here rang at 5:22 AM amidst ‘Maha Deeparadhanai’ and special prayers marking the transit of Lord Saturn.
A special abhishekam was held with 27 types of holy material. Lord Saneeswara was placed on a golden crow mount.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Ministers R Kamalakannan and Kandasamy and Madras High Court Judge Velmurugan were among those who participated in the event.
Earlier on Saturday, the government had made the COVID-19 negative certificate mandatory for devotees. The administration has made it mandatory for devotees to carry copies of their Covid test result and receipt of online registration mandatory to visit Thirunallar for the Sani Peyarchi festival. On Saturday, over 17, 000 people had registered.
The Madras High Court had ruled that the coronavirus test result was not mandatory, but that temperature scanning should be conducted.
The temple is the only one dedicated to Lord Saturn Saneeswara in the whole of India. As per vedic astrology, Lord Saneeswara resides in each rashi or Zodiac Sign for 2½ years and moves from one sign (house) to the next in the Zodiac once 2½ years. This day is celebrated as “Sani Peyarchi Festival” at the sacred shrine of Saneeswara at Thirunallaru. It usually attracts lakhs of pilgrims from all over the country.
The previous Sani Peyarchi was held in 2017.