'Ther' festival, Marie-Amman temple, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'Thookku kaavadi'.

The procession.

Scenes from a 'Ther' festival, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Taking home the returned half of the offering.

The 'Poosary' (the one who does the 'pooja') is given a tray with various types of fruits, a coconut and betel leaves with some coins ( nowadays it is notes). The 'Poosary' breaks the coconut in half and cuts some of the fruits. He then offers it to the consecrated image of the  Diety chanting the appropriate manthras. He then returns the remaining parts of the offering to the devotee who takes it home and shares it with family and friends.

The 'Ther' with the 'light machine' producing current to light up the 'Ther' following it.

'Ther' festival, 'Muthu Mari Amman' temple, Kudagama road, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'Thiruvilaa' ( 'Thiru'+'Ulaa' meaning 'the sacred perambulation' in Tamil) of the resident diety of a Hindu temple, takes place once an year. The image of the diety is placed on a wooden wheeled carved wooden chariot and is drawn on the main roads in the village. The 'Muththu Mari Amman' temple at Kudagama road, Avissawella, had this function a few days back. In the above two photos you see the female devotees arriving for the festival,  and in the lower photo waiting to give their offerings to the diety.