Lord Sundararaja Perumal Temple at Alagarkoil now has a new temple car.

According to local priests, it has replaced a car that was used for nearly 300 years. Work on the new car began nearly two years ago with donations from devotees and philanthropists. The trial run of the car was conducted on Monday.

“The Anandhanarayanan thiru ther was used by the temple for the last 300 years for the annual procession during Adi festival,” said Sundaranarayana Bhattar, the head priest of the temple.

On the features of the new temple car, K. Selvam, the stapathi who built it with a team of 15 artisans, said that they had used Vengai tree wood for the structure and Burma teakwood for sculptures.

“We have tried to replicate the intricate craftsmanship on the old temple car, while maintaining the traditional design in the new car. There are more than 500 sculptures of sages, celestial beings and deities on it,” he said.

Finishing touches to the new car, built at an estimated cost of Rs. 81 lakh, were given on Saturday morning and it was decked up before it was taken on a trial run on the route taken during Adi utsavam .

 

The car built using Vengai tree wood will be taken out in a procession during

Adi festival