Chennai: Faced with prospects of a severe drought this year, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department has organized special pujas and homams in over 200 temples across the State. The pujas will begin on Thursday.

Earlier, such mass pujas were conducted twice in the 1980s including in 1983 and also, during the 1996-97 financial year. The cost of the pujas is borne by the respective temples themselves. The Minister for HR&CE P. Chendur Pandian will participate in the Varuna Sukta Homam at the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore. The pujas including Gayathri Japam (chanting) will commence by 7.30 a.m.  and go on till noon. On Thursday the pujas will be held at four temples in the city –Arulmigu Gangadeeswarar Temple in Purasawalkam, Arulmigu Kalikambal temple in George Town, Arulmigu Vadivudaiamman temple in Tiruvottiyur and the Kapaleeswarar temple.

The pujas will also be also held in Vaishanvite temples including the Sri Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane and Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam in Tiruchi. Sources said that special thirumanjanam (abhishekam) will be performed to the Bali Peetam near the Dhwajasthambam in Vaishnavite temples and verses sung from the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. “Last year when the Bali Peeta Thirumanjanam was held at the Sri Ranganathar temple, it rained,” said a source.

According to sources in the HR&CE department, archakas from various temples had suggested that such pujas be held to bring rains to the State. “Temples including the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple and the Annamalaiyar temple in Tiruvannamalai perform such pujas every year,” explained a Sivacharyar.