The Maasi Mahasivarathri festival began here with the hoisting of the holy flag at Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram on Monday.
Amid chanting of vedic hymns, the flag was hoisted marking the commencement of the festival. The priests performed special puja and aarthi to the presiding deities Ramanathaswamy and Parvathavarthini Amman.
Board of Trustees chairman Raja Kumaran Sethupathi and HR&CE joint commissioner Palanikumar said the Car festival would be held on March 1 and the Theerthavari Urchavam would be performed at the Agni Theertham marking Ammavasai.
The devotees were happy to be a part of the celebrations as the festival could not be performed for the last two years due to the pandemic.