Coimbatore: 350-year-old whipping festival celebrated with immense devotion

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], Dec. 15 (ANI): The famous whipping festival of Coimbatore came into existence 350 years back when something extraordinary happened and marked that day as the day of celebration for the people here. It is believed that a box containing some jewels, arrow and bow and a Amman statue covered in a cloth, was floating in Noyyal River. What's astonishing is that the box was moving in the opposite direction of the running water. The box, however, settled at this place and was noted by a washer man, who informed about the same to various villages. Since then the temple has been named as the Adaikala Amman Temple. It is this reason that whipping festival came to origin and is celebrated every year in the month of December. This year also the much-awaited festival was celebrated with fervour and enthusiasm. Hundreds of devotees self-flagellated themselves, marking the celebration of the festival. In the procession, covering a distance of two kilometres, devotees whipped their bodies. Dancing to the tunes of their regional music, men of all age-groups whipped their bodies. Even young boys participated in the festival, indicating towards the importance, the festival holds in their lives. With the festival ending on Wednesday, the people have already marked its entry on their calendars for next year. (ANI)