With the ‘Chandanakkudom’ scheduled for Wednesday and ‘Petta thullal’ a day later, Erumeli, the most important transit camp for the Sabarimala pilgrims, is getting ready to welcome the days that mark one of the finest symbols of communal amity in a world that is getting more and more divisive.
According to P.A. Ershad, president, Erumeli Malallu Muslim Jamaat, the flow of pilgrims to Erumeli during the mandalam season was low compared to last year. “However, pilgrims are coming in large numbers during the Makaravilakku season,” he said.
The grama panchayat which has a strength of less than 45,000 people during the normal times has to play host to many times that number during the pilgrim season. “Waste management is a major challenge we are facing by the ‘Punyam Poomkavanam’ project initiated by Kerala Police has done a great job within the constraints,” he said.
On Tuesday, it was the local Jamaat’s turn to offer the volunteer work and ADGP B. Sandhya was there to personally oversee the work.
The Çhandanakkudom celebrations will commence by 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday with a public meeting scheduled at the Nainair Masjid. A.C. Moideen, Minister for Industries, will inaugurate the meeting and flag off the ‘Chandanakkudom’ procession. The procession which commences from Petta Junction will depict traditional art forms and music. It will pass through various paths in the town and will be received by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) authorities, merchant community, and individuals at various spots. The procession is expected to return by 3 a.m. on Thursday.
Almost all the young pilgrims come to Erumeli to engage in the Petta thullal, but the spiritual dance by the teams from Ambalappuzha and Alangad mark the high point of the pilgrim season at Erumeli. The Ambalappuzha team led by their leader Kalathil Chandrasekharan Nair will commence their ‘thullal’ after sighting the ‘Krishna Parunthu’ in the skies.
They will dance their way to the Nainar Mosque from the Cheriyambalam across the road, and after paying obeisance to Vavar Swamy, the trusted lieutenant of Lord Ayyappa in his endeavour to kill Mahishi, will dance to the valiambalam where they will be received by the TDB and Ayyappa Seva Sanghom authorities.
Their dance will be followed by the one by the Alangad team. They will perform the thullal at the Petta junction and move to the valiambalam. Both the teams will then take the traditional forest path to Pamba where they will participate in the Pamba Vilakku and Pamba Sadya and later trek to the sannidhanam to participate in the Makaravilakku celebrations and witness Makara Jyothi.
