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Azhi Ther – Thiruvarur Azhi Ther Facts

Azhi Ther is the main chariot (biggest in Asia) pulled during the annual Panguni temple festival at Thiruvarur Thyagaraja Swamy temple. Thousands of devotees arrive for the Panguni festival specially to have a glimpse of Bhagavan Thyagaraja Swamy and His Consort mounted on the temple car. Azhi Ther 2024 date is . There is no fixed date for the Azhi ther it is usually held in the month of March or April. The annual date is decided by the temple committee.

Thiruvarur Azhi Ther Facts

  • Aazhi Ther is the biggest temple chariot in Asia. 
  • The 30-ft tall temple car rises to 96 ft, after decoration is completed with bamboo poles and colorful cloth, the kalasam alone accounting for 6 ft.
  • The weight of the chariot is nearly 350 tonnes.
  • The ropes used to pull the chariot are 500-meter long and one foot in diameter.

  • It took nearly four years to make the present temple car (‘Aazhi Ther’) with the original grandeur and it was first pulled on March 2, 1930, according to inscriptions in the temple.
  • The Aazhi Ther procession goes around four main Mada veedhis (streets) around Thiruvarur temple with devotees chanting Arooraa, Thyagesa besides reciting the Thevaram hymns and the rendition of the Vedas by scholars.
  • Representatives of Dharmapuram, Thiruvavaduthurai, Thiruppanandal and Vilankurichi Adheenams take part in the ritual.
  • Aazhi Ther ritual is mentioned in the ancient Tamil epic Silappadikaram and also in the Thevaram hymns by the Saivite saints Appar, Sundarar, Manickavasagar and Thirugnanasambandar.
  • References to ‘Aazhi ‘Ther’ festival in Tiruvarur are found in the Modi (Marathi language) scripts of the Thanjavur Mahratta Ruler Shahaji (1684-1712 AD) at the famous Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur.
  • Documentary evidences are available in the library for the Tiruvarur ther festival happening continuously since 1748 AD till the middle of 20th century.

The original beautiful ancient temple car (bigger than the present Aazhi Thr’) was completely destroyed in a fire accident in 1926. A burst of crackers when the ther was passing the corner of the famous Kamalalayam temple tank resulted in the fire accident.

In 1970, the then Tamil Nadu Government and industrialist Tiruvarur V.S. Thyagaraja Mudaliar took efforts and hydraulic wheels made by BHEL were provided.