The Garuda-faced temple vessel, Thiruvonathoni, carrying vegetables, provisions and other articles for the Onam feast (Onasadya) at Sree Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula, was accorded a ceremonial reception in traditional style on its arrival at the temple ghats in river Pampa on Friday morning.
The Thiruvonathoni set off from the Mahavishnu Temple ghats at Kattoor in the upstream of Kozhencherry with provisions, vegetables, spices and other articles for the Onam feast on Thursday evening. ‘Pallioyodams’ (snake boats) from the villages in and around Aranmula escorted the specially-designed Thiruvonathoni in a ceremonial procession through river Pampa.
As it being the tradition, the senior-most member of Mangattu Illom at Kumaranalloor in Kottayam district, M.R. Narayana Bhattathiri whose ancestors believed to have migrated from Kattoor a long time back, captained the Thiruvonathoni from Kattoor to Aranmula.
Mr. Bhattathiri had reached Kattoor in a specially-designed canoe from Kumaranalloor, earlier, on Thursday for escorting the Thiruvonathoni. Meanwhile, devotees in and around the village of Kattoor offered provisions and vegetables for the Onasadya at Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple.
Hundreds of devotees thronged Sree Parthasarathy Temple ghats and on either banks of river Pampa to receive the temple vessel at the day-break. The atmosphere was charged with devotion. Krishna bhajans and rhythmic ‘vanchippatu’, verses in praise of Lord Krishna, filled the air. Many devotees were found touching the temple vessel with their folded hands, paying obeisance to it. They offered cotton shawls, tobacco, betel leaves and areca nuts as it being a custom and tradition to receive the Thiruvonathoni.
Mr. Bhattathiri handed over the oil lamp brought from Kattoor Temple to the head priest (Melsanthi) at Sree Parthsarathy Temple, who in turn had transferred the flame to the ‘kedavilakku’ kept inside the sanctum sanctorum, later.
The Onasadya at the Aranmula temple was prepared with the materials brought from Kattoor and the feast was served to the devotees immediately after the Utchapuja. As many as 500 sadhus camping at the Parthasarathy Temple too were among those who partook off the feast.
