The Garuda-faced temple vessel, Thiruvonathoni, carrying provisions and vegetables for the Onam feast (Onasadya) at the Sree Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula set off from the Maha Vishnu Temple ghats in the Pampa at Kattoor, near Kozhencherry, on Saturday afternoon.
Hundreds of devotees thronged the Kattoor Maha Vishnu Temple on the banks of the Pampa to watch the ceremonial start of the procession. The temple vessel set off on its journey soon after the deeparadhana at the Vishnu temple. M.R. Narayana Bhattathiri, eldest member of the Mangattu Brahmin family at Kumaranalloor, near Kottayam, led the customary ceremonial procession which was escorted by a group of snakeboats (palliyodams) to Aranmula. The melsanthi handed over the oil lamp brought from the sanctum sanctorum to the Bhattathiri, marking the beginning of the ceremonial procession.
The palliyodams belonging to the villages of Kattoor, Kottathoor, Cherukol and Edappavoor escorted the Thiruvonathoni from the Vishnu temple ghats and more snake boats joined the fleet from Ayroor Puthiyakavu Devi Temple ghats.
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Devotees thronged the banks of the river to greet the procession along the Kattoor-Aranmula stretch in the night. They offered betel leaves, areca nut, tobacco and cotton shawls to Bhattathiri as a mark of reverence to Thiruvonathoni. The Thiruvonathoni will reach the Parthasarathy Temple ghats at Aranmula to a ceremonial reception at 5.30 a.m. on Sunday.