Photographs of Gods, Thiruvoodal 2016

Gods give darshan at Alankaram Mandapam, outside Big Temple

Lord Arunachaleswarar giving Darshan

The Goddess

A Devotee's offering to the Gods

Crowds on Thiruvoodal Street, Pongal 2016

Crowds on Car Street, Tiruvannamalai

Gods carried on Palanquins

 Poles under Palanquin covered with cloths for easy carry

Musicians accompanying the Gods

Gods returning to the Big Temple

Devotees struggling to bear the heavy weight of the Palanquin

Goddess also on a Palanquin

[Thanks to Mr. Hari Prasad for these wonderful photographs of 2016 Pongal on this posting and on the previous two postings on Arunachala Grace].

Colours of Pongal 2016

Karumbu (sugarcane) on sale Big Street

Tumeric Plants for the Ladies

Flowers on sale at Market, Big Street

Abundance of Colourful Blooms

Flowers for devotees to make God Garlands

Bright Kolams throughout Tiruvannamalai

Leads and Harness for Bullocks, Cows and Horses

Kolam powders in a variety of Colours

Bright, Colourful 2016 Pongal, Tiruvannamalai

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.