The Hindu : Kerala News : Thousands participate in Ashtamirohini feast

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Thousands participate in Ashtamirohini feast

Staff Reporter

Annual ritual at Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple

Photo: Leju Kamal

Mass feast: A view of the Ashtamirohini Vallasadya held at the Sree Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district on Saturday. -

PATHANAMTHITTA: Thousands of Krishna devotees participated in the annual Ashtamirohini Vallasadya, a mass feast, held at Sree Parthasarathy Temple, Aranmula, on Saturday.

The Vallasadya, with strong devotional moorings, is a feast served to the crew of the palliyodams (snake boats) by the devotees of Lord Parthasarathy, treating the crew as representatives of the presiding deity.

The Asthamirohini Vallasadya is a mega feast jointly organised by the Palliyoda Seva Sanghom and the Travancore Devaswom Board at Sree Parthasarathy Temple on the Krishnashtami day every year.

Representatives of different ‘palliyoda karayogams’ reached the temple in their own snake boats for the feast in the forenoon. Devotees accorded a traditional reception to the oarsmen on their arrival at the temple ghat.

Crews of as many as 38 palliyodams took part in the feast served in separate compartments earmarked for each on the temple precincts.

Palliyoda Seva Sanghom (PSS) authorities said 3,500 kg rice was cooked for the feast served with 45 side dishes. The feast began immediately after the ‘utchapuja’ at the temple.

TDB president C.K. Gupthan formally inaugurated the feast by lighting a ceremonial lamp and serving the feast on a plantain leaf at the anakkottil before the temple mast around 12 noon.

P.K. Sumathykutty Amma, TDB member; K.C. Rajagopalan, MLA; P.C. Sanalkumar, Collector; K.G. James, District Superintendent of Police; S.Santhakumari, District Panchayat president; Omalloor Sankaran, K.K. Royson, members; Malethu Saraladevi, A.Padmakumar, former MLAs; V.N. Unni, BJP State vice-president; Sabu P.Idiculla, DySP; and the PSS leaders were among those who attended the function.

Chairman of Aranmula Aviation Limited P.S. Nair handed over a cheque of Rs.5 lakh to Palliyoda Seva Sanghom president K.G. Sasidharan Pillai towards the sponsorship for the forthcoming Uthrittathi Vallamkali on September 16.

Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran and his wife, Geetha, reached the temple to partake in the feast at 1.30 pm.

No fewer than 50,000 people took part in the mass feast, the PSS president said.

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