Tiruchirappalli, March 9 -- Thousands of devotees gathered at the Arulmigu Mariamman Temple in Samayapuram in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappali on Sunday, to participate in the Poochorithal Festival, a major annual event at the temple.

The Poochorithal Festival, considered the most significant of all festivals at the temple, marks the grand offering of flowers to Goddess Mariamman. The festival began with the temple priests and management carrying the first batch of flowers to adorn the goddess in the sanctum sanctorum.

As part of the celebration, a grand flower procession was held, where an elephant was used to carry the flowers through the temple's car streets, accompanied by devotees who walked alongside chanting prayers.

The festival is ...