Culture of Trichy – Fairs and Festivals

Trichy is well-known for its colorful fairs and festivals, thanks to its numerous ancient temples rich with legends and history. The curious visitor to the city has a lot to look forward to with the mysterious rituals, outstanding temples and rich traditions that is quite intriguing. Here is a look at some of Trichy’s cultural extravaganza:

Jallikattu

This hot-blooded, heart-thumping event is a part of the elaborate Pongal celebrations that fall every year in mid-January. While the four-day long Pongal is a festival that celebrates prosperity along with family and friends, Jallikattu is usually a male-oriented event and involves bull-taming. Along with Jallikattu, there is alsoa traditional stick fight (‘silambattam’)..

Vaikunta Ekadasi festival

This is an important Vaishnavite festival that’s celebrated in the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple. The festival lasts for about ten days between mid-December to mid-January when the Srirangam Island becomes inundated by lakhs of devotees during this period. A holy door called ‘sorga vasal’ is opened during this festival and Lord Perumal can be seen in different guises.

Float festival

Also known as the Teppa Thiruvizha of Arulmigu Thayumanaswamy temple in the Rockfort Complex in Trichy city, this annual float festival has been celebrated since 1546 during the march-April months. On the final day of the float festival, the auspicious ‘Teerthavari’ is conducted. The Thayumanaswamy and Mattuvar Kuzhalammai deities from the temple along with the temple priests navigate 5 times in a highly decorated and illuminated float around the beautifully-lit up central mandapam located in the middle of the temple pond.

Samayapuram Mariyamman festival

People of Trichy celebrate goddess Mariamman with many festivals and three of the more important ones include Poochorithal, Pancha Prakaram and Brahmotsavam. During Poochorithal, flowers are showered continuously on the deity for 24 hours during March-April, with many devotees turning up to witness it. Brahmotsavam is celebrated in April and devotees make offerings to the goddess in appreciation of their earnings. A float and chariot festival are also celebrated.

Allur Jalla Thirthavizha

Celebrated during the Puratsi Amavasai for about 10 days, women offer prayers to hand-made cows and calves and gather together to sing spiritual songs. After the 10th day, the women go in a procession and immerse thefigurines in the waters of the Kaveri River.

There are numerous other colorful festivals celebrated here, but you will have to visit Trichy to witness them. Getting to Trichy is easy as it’s well-connected by excellent highways, railways and an airport. You could have astay-cationat the centrally-located Sangam hotel and enjoy getting pampered!