Overview

• The HR&CE Department completed a phased Rs 300 crore renovation before Monday’s Kumbhabhishekam, concluding a 16-year hiatus.
• Pre-dawn Yagasala pujas and a ceremonial procession delivered holy water to the Kumba Kalasas ahead of simultaneous 6:15 a.m. rites on the east and west gopurams.
• Thousands of devotees from across Tamil Nadu and abroad gathered at the coastal shrine, with many arriving by Sunday to secure vantage points.
• Drone sprinkles of sanctified water over the assembled crowd highlighted the fusion of ancient ritual and modern technology.
• Organizers granted Tamil primacy in the ceremony, featuring Thevaram hymns performed in Tamil by Traditional Odurvars to settle previous disputes over ritual language.