Tirunelveli, June 23, 2013: Thousands of devotees participated in the ‘Aani’ car festival of Sri Nellaiyappar Gandhimathi Ambal Temple here on Saturday and drew the 450-tonne car through the four Car Streets around the shrine, amidst intermittent drizzle.

Special prayers were conducted since 5 a.m., and the festival started at 8.15 a.m., with thousands of devotees, including women, enthusiastically drawing the car, the third largest in Tamil Nadu. The car reached its position at 1.45 p.m.

Police had made security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival by installing surveillance cameras at vital points and deploying adequate number of personnel along all the four streets. For the first time, policemen positioned themselves on the car with binoculars to monitor the crowd. Moreover, a large number men and women personnel drew the car along with the devotees.

Fire and Rescue Service personnel had also been put on alert. The Corporation had made arrangements for distributing drinking water to the devotees at several points. Ambulances had been stationed at vantage points, and traffic had been diverted in view of the festival.

Source: The Hindu, DT. June 23, 2013.