Two people died as a huge crowd thronged Chithirai festival celebrations in Tamil Nadu's Madurai on Saturday.
"Today Chithirai Festival started at 6:20 am, we made elaborate arrangements for crowd control. Despite this, a huge crowd thronged to watch the festival. Because of intense suffocation, two people died when they were taken to hospital and 11 affected have been admitted to the hospital. The government will take undertake all their medical expenses and they are showing improvement," Minister P Murthy said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed deepest condolences to the families of the victims and immediately ordered the CM's General Relief Fund to provide Rs 5 lakhs each to the families of the 2 deceased, Rs 2 lakhs to one seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakhs each for 7 people with a minor injury.
The festival is celebrated during the Tamil month of Chithirai. It had been muted for the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Annual 'Chithirai' festival commenced on Tuesday last week with its traditional temple flag hoisting at Meenakshi Amman Temple.
Chithirai Festival, also known as Chithirai Thiruvizha, Meenakshi Kalyanam or Meenakshi Thirukalyanam is the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar.
The festival lasts for one month.
The first 15 days mark the celebrations of the coronation of Meenakshi as the divine ruler of Madurai and her marriage to Sundareshwar.
(With inputs from ANI)
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