Usually held during January/February in the Meenakshi Temple, Teppam festival or the float festival is one of the most important festivals of Madurai.

This is celebrated on the night of the full moon. The last two days of the 12-day festival are specially marked as the King's Festival.

It was believed to have been started by the Tirumala Nayak, and is celebrated annually to mark his birthday by Tamil reckoning.

The ornamented icons of the two deities, the God Sundaresa (incarnation of Shiva) and the Goddess Meenaskshi (incarnation of Parvati), with pearl crowns on their heads and riding on a golden bull are taken out in a splendid procession from Meenakshi temple.

The God Alagar (incarnation of Vishnu) gives his sister Meenakshi, in marriage to Sundaresa amidst great rejoicing. Devotees clothed in yellow and red dance among the processionists and spray coloured water on them.

The images of Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwara are mounted on floats or rafts, and taken to the Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank. 

The illuminated rafts embellished with flowers and flickering lamps are floated on the waters of the tank. The floats carry them back to the central shrine amidst chants and music.