Thirumalai Naick instituted a number of special festivals
in the temple of Meenakshi, among them the Chitrai Festival was the most celebrated one. Originally this festival was celebrated during the
month of Thai (January). Because of busy harvest season people in and around
Madurai were not able to attend this festival and took part in pulling the
Temple Car. In order to solve this problem, the King Thirumalai Naick changed
the festival to Chitrai (April) for the convenience of the village yoke.
Sceptre Festival:
This festival was celebrated for a number of days. In the eighth day of the
festival the Goddess used to be specially decorated and placed in the special
pavilion of the temple. On that day, the King will visit the temple and after
special worship, receive the royal sceptre from the hand of the Goddess
Meenakshi. Then the Sceptre would be brought to the palace on the royal elephant
in a great procession. The sceptre would be placed on the throne and would
receive special worship from the hands of the king. The diginatories,
commanders, poets and other palace servants would behonoured with titles and
gifts would be presented on that occasion. The sceptre will remain enthroned in
the celestial pavilion on the whole day and after due worship it will be
returned to the temple the next day. Symbolically this function shows that the
country was being ruled by Goddess Meenakshi and the Naick ruler administered
the country as a representative of the Goddess. This festival was continued even
in the 18th century by the successor, like queen Mangammal.
Navaraathiri Festival:
This festival was celebrated by the King for nine nights (hence it is called
Navaraathiri) in the month of Purattaasi (september) with great Pomp. This is
one of the famous festivals celebrated in all the Amman Shrines in Tamilnadu. On
these nine nights the Goddess will be decorated on various forms and kolu
(Puppet Exhibition) will be arranged for the visit and worship of the common
people. In the palace, the King used to bedeck himself with costly jewels and
garments and be seated with audience in the celestial pavilion on all the nine
days. This was the occasion when the feudatories used to pay tributes and
present costly jewels and bring other gifts to the King. As a part of the daily
routine the King used to appear in the evenings, in the court-yard when the
palace guards used to salute him with torches and show various feats with lights.
Queen's apartment were located to the west of the Swargavilasa. In the south-west
may be seen a room with block polished columns supporting the root. The queens
used to hear music and literary discourses in this portion during the mornings.