Puducherry Prepares For Sani Peyarchi Festival

Karaikal (Puducherry): Chief Minister V Narayanaswamy on Sunday held a meeting with officials of various departments to review preparations for the Sani Peyarchi festival (transit of Saturn) to be held at Tirunallar in the district on December 19.

The transit of Saturn from one Zodiac sign to another is observed as 'Sanipeyarchi' festival and is held once in two-and-half years. The previous Sanipeyarchi was held in 2014. The festival usually attracts several lakhs of pilgrims to the Lord Saneeswara temple at Tirunallar as it is the only temple dedicated to Lord Saneeswara in the country.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Minister said the government wanted to ensure that ordinary pilgrims thronging the town to have a glimpse of Lord Saneeswara did not face any difficulties. He also enquired about arrangements for transportation, sanitation, drinking water, food availability, accommodation, queue patterns, facilities for holy dip at the temple tanks, security, public safety, traffic regulation, parking, emergency preparedness, mobile hospitals and rescue teams among others.

Agriculture Minister R Kamalakannan, Karaikal district Collector R Kesavan, the temple's Executive Officer SK Pannerselvam and other officials participated.