Chariots on Big Street

The weather is very unseasonal for this time of year -- lots of azure blue skies and hot toasty sun. Walking down Big Street, which is the main arterial road in front of the east side of Arunachaleswarar Temple's Raja Gopuram, its difficult to believe that Mahadeepam is just a few days away.

As always the chariots that will be used for the Maharadham Festival this coming Thursday November 14, are parked on the sides of Big Street. Traffic is less on this thoroughfare nowadays, since the one-way road system in the busy part of town was implemented.

Below are a couple of photographs of the Murugan Chariot, which has had a substantial amount of renovation work implemented this season.

Murugan Chariot parked side of Big Street

Workers inside the chariot completing renovation

There is also a short video I took a couple of days ago of Big Street with the brightly painted chariots in the distance. 

Deepam 2013 Clean-up

As always preparations for the Arunachala Deepam Festival start long before the function in conjunction with the local administration, revenue department, police and Temple authorities. 

At the Temple; wooden levers have to be fashioned by carpenters, ready to be placed under the large wheels of the chariots that will be daily used throughout the Festival. Repair work is undertaken on all Temple chariots and vehicles. 

Fire drills will be conducted at the Tanks inside the Arunachaleswarar Temple. And soon lights on Arunachaleswarar Temple will be placed around the Temple Compound perimeter and on the Gopurams heralding the upcoming Festivities. 

The giant cauldron which will be later carried to the top of Arunachala will be repaired and repainted. And arrangements have to be made for a mountain of ghee, to be stored in various rooms throughout the Temple. 

To begin with some photographs of Temple clean up and preparations. 

Men working on repair and painting, Big Chariot

Each chariot has to be inspected and repaired

Clean up outside the Shiva Sannidhi

Arunachaleswarar Temple Flagpole

Everything getting a good hose down