Kerala - Kollam   

Annual `bali' performed with religious fervour

Staff Reporter

At Thirumullavaaram, more than 50,000 performed the ritual

KOLLAM: Hundreds of people took part in the Karkidaka Vavu `bali' rituals on Thursday on the Thirumullavaaram and Mundakkal beaches in Kollam city and at the Ashtamudi Veerabhadraswamy Temple, Thanni Devi Temple, on Alapad beach and at Palaruvi waterfalls in the district.

The preparations at the various locations were completed by Wednesday evening. A special medical team and squad from the Fire Force and the Police were deputed at the sites of the bali ritual. At Thirumullavaaram alone, more than 50,000 persons took part in the rituals.

The rituals, which began early on Thursday morning, continued in the evening.

Our Staff Reporter adds from Pathanamthitta: Hundreds of Hindus thronged the banks of Pampa, Manimala and Achencoil rivers in different parts of the district to pay obeisance to their ancestors in the form of `bali tharpanam' on the auspicious day of Karkidaka Vavu on Thursday.

Bringing good fortune

The Karkidaka Vavu bali began at the Triveni Sangamom at Pampa on the foothills of Sabarimala at 5 a.m. Hundreds of people performed the `bali' at the Parthasarathy Temple ghats in river Pampa in Aranmula on Thursday. Hindus believe that `bali' on Karkidaka Vavu will appease spirits of the ancestors and bring good fortunes and prosperity to them. Usually, the ritual is performed in a Theertha ghat.

The annual ritual was performed with religious fervour at the Theertha ghat of Sree Sankaranarayana Swami Temple, near Kottangal, in Mallappally taluk. Not less than 5,000 people had reportedly turned up for the `bali' in the sacred spring that originates from the temple precincts itself.

The `bali' was held at the Kattoor Mahavishnu Temple ghats, near Cherukol, Sasthamkoikkal kadavu, in Ranni-Angady, Vettoor Mahavishnu Temple ghats, near Konni, Tricherpuram Subrahmaniaswamy Temple ghats in river Manimala in Mallappally, Cherukol Elavaum-madhom temple ghats, near Kozhencherry, Thrippara Temple ghats in Pathanamthitta, Thondara kadavu in Kuttoor, Vallamkulam Ganapathi kadavu, Keecherival kadavu at Valanjavattom, near Thiruvalla, and the Pandalam Valiyakoickal Sastha Temple ghats in the district.

The ritual began at 5 a.m. and extended up to 12 noon in almost all the major ghats in the district.

The Viswa Brahmana Sabha and the Viswa Hindu Parishad had made elaborate arrangements for the `bali' at the Parthasarathy Temple ghats in Aranmula.

Many Theertha ghats had turned slushy owing to heavy siltation in the recent floods.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Annual `bali' performed with religious fervour
Chandy to open Akshaya project
`Snow' jewellery set to hit Indian market
In Kollam Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu