Annabishekam — anointment of the Shivalingam with cooked rice — was performed at the sanctum sanctorum of Shiva temples, including Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple, popularly known as Big Temple, in Thanjavur district on the full moon day of Tamil month Aippasi, with religious fervour and gaiety on Saturday.
The anointment of Shivalingams is usually performed during the sunset but this year it was performed in the afternoon on Saturday in view of the lunar eclipse.
At the Big Temple, around 1,000 kg of cooked rice and 900 kg of fruits and vegetables were used to cover the 13-foot-tall Peruvudaiyar and a Maha Arathi was performed. Later at night, the cooked rice and fruits and vegetables used in the anointment was distributed to devotees as prasadam after the theerthavari ceremony performed by the temple priests, sources said.
Similar events were held at the Shiva temples located in Thanjavur, Kumbakonam and other places.
Annabishekam was also performed to Siva Lingam at the famous Sri Brihadeeswarar temple at Gangaikondacholapuram in Ariyalur district on Saturday.
The Mahadeeparadhana was held in the evening in which devotees in large numbers offered worship to the deity. Thereafter, the cooked rice used in the Annabishekam was distributed as prasadam to the devotees.
