There is a certain magic to the festival. One of the temple's major yearly events in Srirangam is called Srirangam Chithirai Ther, or Viruppan Thirunaal. The celebration takes place in the Tamil month of Chithirai and lasts for eleven days. The Vijayanagara dynasty is where the Srirangam Chithirai Car Festival got its start. The streets of Srirangam come alive with colour, music, and passionate prayers on the day of the festival. With the joyful shouts of devotees accompanying it, the main chariot, decked with flowers, silk, and gold, shimmers in the sunlight as it exits from the temple gates.

These festivals are unique due to their eleven-day-long celebrations. The presiding deity, Lord Ranganatha (Lord Vishnu), is seated on a grandly decorated vahanam, which is pulled by numerous devotees through the streets of Srirangam. The 11-day festival commences with the temple flag hoisting, also known as Dhwajarrohanam, on the first day.

The main attraction of the festival is the procession of the deity through the streets of Srirangam. The deity is mounted on a vahanam (vehicle) embellished with various vahanams (vehicles). These Vahanas include Sesha Vahanam, Hanumantha Vahanam, Simha Vahanam, Yali Vahanam, silver and gold horse Vahanam, and so on.

The Srirangam Chithirai Ther Festival lasts for eleven days and culminates with the Theerthavari, a ceremonial bath of the deities in the temple tank (Sriranga Pushkarini). This ritual signifies purification and renewal, which marks the end of the festivities. Devotees gather to witness this sacred event and receive divine blessings.

During these eleven days, the sounds of devotional music fill the air, and the fragrance of incense is all around. Devotees offer fervent prayers, and the festival is a time of spiritual rejuvenation and community bonding.

To know more about the day-to-day activities of Srirangam's Chithirai Ther Festival: Click here