The mada veedhis are the people’s zones at panguni festival time in Mylapore.
All these days, different people have done different things around.
Dozens of women and men are here almost every day, cleaning spaces with water and drawing large kolams; this their prayer to the lord, the ambal. We saw a young man in veshti, referencing a smart phone to design his small kolam under the 16-pillar mantap.
This year, the temple seems to have invited lots of artistes for the processions; folk, neo-mythological troupes joined by Sivan-adiyars with their music instruments. We spotted on this Sunday morning, women perform kol-attam. And the nagaswaram-tavil artistes have been given much space and time.
The devoted of devotees; some dancers dressed in costumes- Shiva and Parvati; some women carrying variuous forms of the lingam on their heads, and one woman who just raised her hand holding half a coconut, towards the lord in the ther.
The seniors with promises to fulfil; like this 70 something woman who hung a jar in one hand, held a plateful of paper cups in another and got someone to pour buttermilk on a 30-degrees morning.
And the hawkers – from all over. Palm fans, Irula jewellery, glass bangles, plastic toys, Koyembedu keerai.
And 100-plus police men and women to ensure there was order.
And 100-odd workers of Urbaser Sumeet who have ensured that all the streets are clean end to end.
