Madurai: An ancient festival, where a little girl is described as ‘moon girl’ and took the procession on ThaiPoosam’s night, celebrated in Vedasandur in the Dindigul district on Wednesday.
This festival is celebrated to pray for rain and harvest which is good in the coming year.
Celebrated at Maasadaichi Amman Temple in Kottur Village in Kuttam Pancayat.
A little girl from this village was chosen to be a girl’s girl in three years.
Pradiksha, 11, a class VI student, was chosen to be a girl’s girl from this year’s ceremony.
He was accompanied by villagers to small mounds in the village and decorated with Cassia Tanner Yellow flowers, known as Aavarum Poo, who bloom abundantly in the village this season.
He was then made to bring a basket full of flowers and go with the procession through the streets before reaching the temple.
There, villagers do certain rituals and accompany him to the well, with oil lights and flower baskets.
The lights and flower baskets are carefully inserted into the well and are made to float.
Shanmugam, a village resident, said it was believed that if the basket and lights floated around the temple without the sinking light it would indicate a good year in front.
The girl was accompanied to her house by the villagers and was given nutritious food.