In all, 1,110 bricks specially designed and made for constructing the altar (Chithi) of the yagashala for Athirathram, to be held at Panjal, near here, from April 4 to 15, were on Wednesday transported from Chittissery to the venue.
The bricks, transported in five trucks, were accorded reception at many places, including the Sree Vadakkunnathan, Paramekkavu, Thiruvambady temples and a few shrines in Mulankunnathukavu, Viyyur, Akamala, Uthralikkavu, Manaladi and Attur. The bricks were offered pujas at the temples.
A research wing constituted as part of the Athirathram conducted a meeting at Ottappalam on Wednesday. The wing is led by V.P.N. Nampoori, Emeritus Scientist at the Council for Industrial and Scientific Research and former Director of International School of Photonics, Cochin University of Science and Technology.
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Athirathram, an ancient 12-day Vedic ritual involving homas and chanting, is considered the ultimate invocation of Vedic scriptures for universal harmony. It is being conducted at Panjal after 35 years.
The objective of Athirathram is to promote universal harmony, peace, solidarity, prosperity and spiritual enlightenment.
The Athirathram will be led by Puthillathu Ramanujan Somayajippadu (Yajamanan) and Dhanyapathanadi (Yajamanapathni).
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Athirathram is believed to have originated in the 10th century BC and practised until the 6th century BC.
In 1975, Indologist Frits Staal, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and South/Southeast Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, organised and recorded the ritual through grants and donations from institutions such as Harvard University, Smithsonian Institution and the Rock Foundation and others. He also studied the application of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and astronomy in this complex ritual.