Consecration Ceremony Begins at Madurai's Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

The kumbhabhishekam, or consecration ceremony, of the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai began in the early hours of Thursday, September 17, 2026, with the chanting of vedic hymns and special pujas.

The temple complex has been lit up for the occasion, and senior priests drawn from various temples carried holy water to the multiple towers (gopurams), which have been decorated with flowers. The priests are scheduled to perform the main ceremony between 7.40 a.m. and 8.10 a.m.

Several dignitaries, including Tamil Nadu Cabinet Ministers, High Court judges, senior government officers and secretaries, as well as MPs and MLAs, reached the temple as early as 4 a.m. Officials of the HR&CE department have arranged seating at multiple locations on the upper deck so that the guests can watch the proceedings.

Thousands of devotees from different places have queued outside the temple to witness the event. The Madurai Corporation has issued strict notices to property owners in the vicinity, directing them not to allow people to climb onto their buildings to view the ceremony.