The Niraputhari ritual at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple was held amid traditional fervour early Sunday.
The procession of the puthari (harvested paddy) began at 5.20 a.m. in the presence of temple executive officer V. Ratheesan. The paddy sheaves kept in a special ‘mandapam’ on a corner of the Padmatheertham pond were placed on a special stool in the middle of the ‘natakashala’ at the east entrance of the temple.
There, in front of a lamp, the sheaves were sanctified and transferred to the ‘Seevelipura’ on the eastern side and then taken on a procession. Harvested and flattened rice kept in front of the ‘Mathilakam’ store in baskets along with the sheaves were then taken inside the temple through the east entrance, and after circumambulating the sanctum, taken to the Abhishravana mandapam. There, the sheaves were placed on a special chair, where Periyanampi Varikkodu Vasudevan Narayanan performed pujas and received them. These were then placed in sacred ‘ara.’ Then the sheaves were also received for being placed in the ‘ara’ for Narasimha Perumal and Sree Krishnaswamy. Palpayasam nivedyam and aval nivedyam were held next.
At the Attukal Bhagavathy temple, the ritual was held between 5.40 a.m. and 6.10 a.m. The paddy sheaves for the ritual were brought from Tirunelveli. The pujas were led by Melsanthi Arun Kumar Namboothiri.
Temple trustees, including the chairman, and devotees took part in the Niraputhari ritual.
