Arulmigu Koothandavar Temple, Koovagam temple festival is considered to be an important festival for the transgender community. According to Mahabharatha, Aravaan a transgender was sacrificed in the battle field for the victory of Pandavas. On basis of the event in Mahabharata every year transgenders gather at the temple to observe Aravaan's death which came to be known as Koothandavar festival.
The festival is celebrated in different ways in different parts of Tamil Nadu. Today here at Neelikonampalaym village near Singanallur has assumed to be the 'Maapilai's Oor' (bridegroom's native) and 3 kms from there a place was declared as the “Manappen Oor” (bride's native).
The week long festival began last week in Neelikonampalayam, Singanallur with the erection of the 'Kambam' an auspicious pole. On this Wednesday evening, Aravaan from this temple was decorated as a bridegroom and was taken to another temple at Singanallur where the gala marriage celebration took place. On the very next day, a customary the event of searching for Aravaan by Hanuman and Pongiyammal took place. 'Kalabali' the last event is scheduled to take place today. Thousands of people from all over the Coimbatore district will gather at the temple during the festival each year. And so was this year, hundreds of transgenders gathered at the temple premise and celebrated the events with jubilation.
Traffic police have made alterations to vehicular traffic considering the gathering of huge crowd on the occasion. Vehicles from Singanallur enroute to Vellalore will be diverted through Vasantha mills around the temple. Motorists are permitted to use the Ramanathapuram - Nanjundapuram route to reach Vellalore.
As today being the last day of the festival, it is expected that the crowd volume might double-up. Hence, required police personnel have been deployed around Vellalore, Singanallur and Neelikonampalayam to avoid any untoward incident.