A view of the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai as the annual Chithirai festival commences with its traditional flag hoisting ceremony.
Villagers say that the wooden temple chariot, with parts being iron based fitment, was decorated with colourful lights especially on the top, and it came into contact with the overhead electricity line.
Reversing yet another decision of the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime, the Jayalalithaa government on Tuesday announced that the Tamil New Year would now be celebrated in April, instead of January.
The decision was taken in view of the consensus amongst almost Tamil scholars that the first of Thai is the first day of the Tamil year.
The DMK feels its genuine gestures have had no bearing on the governor's politico-administrative conduct, which is 'more political and politicised than administrative and Constitutional', observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The harvest festival of Pongal was celebrated across Tamil Nadu on Friday, though the festivity was low key in southern districts, including Madurai, following the Supreme Court ban on the bull taming sport of Jallikattu.
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