Lord Konesar three-day procession concludes
[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 12:09 GMT]
The three- day procession of Lord Konesar, chief deity of historic Koneswaram temple which began on Monday evening after Maha Sivarathiri day observance covering entire Trincomalee town in three stages concluded Thursday morning with the return to temple located inside the Fort Frederick, Trincomalee residents said.
 Children play kolattam during the procession.
 Lord Konesar, Mathumai Ambal and Veera Sakthi being taken in procession on third day from Pathirakali Ambal Temple.
The third day procession began on Wednesday evening from Pathirakalai Ambal Temple and covered several areas in the Periyakadai in the town. The second day procession which began on Tuesday evening from Sivan Temple carrying Lord Konesar with his consort Mathumai Ambal arrived at Pathirakalai Ambal Temple on Wednesday early morning and kept in the temple till Wednesday evening. The annual three-day procession of Lord Konesar was first started in the year 1951 with the statue of Lord Konesar, his consort Mathumai Ambal and several other artifacts made up of bronze surfaced when the Urban Council of Trincomalee dug a public well on the seashore of Veeranagar, a suburb in the east port town on 27.07.1950. Since then the procession is held annually with these statues being taken through out the town after Maha Sivarathiri Day, sources said. According to historical records, Hindu priests who fled from the temple when the Portuguese destroyed the historic Koneswaram temple on the Tamil New Year day in the year 1624 buried these statues in the area where they surfaced after 326 years on 27.07.1950, sources said.
 Decorated road to receive Lord Konesar procession.
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