Special to buses to Tiruvannamalai for Karthigai deepam fete

In anticipation of the upcoming Karthigai Deepam festival and full moon day, Transport Minister SS Sivasankar announced on Monday that the state’s transport department will be operating special buses to facilitate travel for devotees. The special buses will connect various cities, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, and Tuticorin, to Tiruvannamalai, where the grand celebration takes place. To mitigate potential traffic congestion resulting from personal vehicle travel to the temple town, the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) is set to operate 50 air-conditioned seater and sleeper buses from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai and vice versa. The special bus services will be available from November 25 (Saturday) to 27 (Monday), providing a convenient and comfortable transportation option for pilgrims and visitors. Special buses from Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Tuticorin, Madurai, and Coimbatore are also scheduled to operate from November 24 to 26, extending the reach of the transportation services to cater to devotees from various parts of the state. Passengers can easily book their tickets online through the official website www.tnstc.in or the TNSTC mobile app. Recognizing the potential increase in demand, additional buses will be deployed as needed to accommodate the expected influx of devotees. Karthigai Deepam, a traditional and grand festival celebrated over ten days, is a significant occasion at the temple of Lord Arunachaleswarar in Tiruvannamalai. The festival attracts lakhs of devotees not only from different parts of Tamil Nadu but also from neighboring states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.