The plantains being carried to the Sree Vallabha Temple in a ceremonial procession from the nearby Thukalasserry Mahadevar Temple on Sunday morning for the auspicious ‘Pantheerayirom’ vazhipadu as a prelude to the 10-day annual temple festival that begins on Wednesday.
The annual ‘Pantheerayiram’ vazhipadu, offering of 12,001 plantains of a special variety to the presiding deity, was held at the centuries’ old Sree Vallabha Temple in Thiruvalla on Sunday morning.
The ritualistic offering was held as a prelude to the 10-day annual temple festival that begins on Wednesday.
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The 10-day annual festival at the Sree Vallabha Temple, regarded as one among the 101 ‘Tirupatis’ in the country, will be held from February 17 to 26.
The ceremonial procession carrying the plantains began from the Mahadevar Temple at Thukalasserry at 7.30 a.m. Hundreds of devotees took part in the procession carrying plantains in baskets.
The plantains were offered to the presiding deity during the ‘pantheeradi-puja’ at the Sree Vallabha Temple around 8.30 a.m. and were distributed as ‘prasadom’ among the devotees later.
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Kodiyettu ceremony
The Kodiyettu ceremony, marking the beginning of the annual festival, will be held in the muhurthom between 12.15 p.m. and 12.35 p.m. on Wednesday. The temple chief priest (Tantri), Parameswaran Vasudevan Bhattathiripad of Memana Illom, will hoist the ceremonial flag after performing the customary rituals before the holy temple mast.
The auspicious ‘Utsavabalidarshanam’, as part of the annual festival, will be held at 4 p.m. from February 18 to 25. Kathakali performaces by leading artistes will be held on all the 10-days.
The Pallivetta ritual as part of the festival will be held near the Govindankulangara Devi Temple on February 25 evening.
The 10-day festival will come to a close with the Arattu ceremony on February 26 afternoon. The ritualistic holy dip, Arattu, will be held at the Arattu kadavu in river Manimala near the Thukalassery Mahadevar Temple.