The Thiruvonathoni, the temple vessel carrying vegetable, rice and other articles for the Onam feast (Onasadya) to be held at the Sree Parthasarathy temple on Wednesday, set off from the Maha Vishnu temple ghats on the Pampa at Kattoor, upstream of Kozhencherry, on Tuesday afternoon.
Ghats thronged
Hundreds of devotees thronged the temple ghats to witness the customary journey of the Thiruvonathoni to Aranmula.
The vessel began its journey immediately after the deeparadhana at the Maha Vishnu temple. As per the custom, the eldest member of the Mangattu Illom at Kumaranalloor in Kottayam, whose ancestors hailed from Kattoor, takes the materials for the Onasadya at Sree Parthasarathy Temple in the Thiruvonathoni, on the eve of Thiruvonam. Narayana Bhattathiri, the eldest member of Mangattu Illom, escorted the Thiruvonathoni to Aranmula.
Snakeboats ( palliyodam s) from the nearby villages of Kottathoor, Edappavoor and Cherukol escorted the temple vessel to Aranmula. Devotees thronged the banks of the Pampa as well, to worship the Thiruvonathoni.
The temple vessel was given reception at Ayroor and Vechoor Mana at Melukara. More snakeboats joined the procession en route.
