The annual 10-day Navarathri festival began with religious fervour in the palace here on Sunday.
Hundreds of devotees thronged the temple to witness the ritual of handing over the sword of the erstwhile Maharajas of Travancore at the maharaja’s wooden palace.
The sword, kept in Upparika Malika in the palace, was handed over to Joint Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Endowment Board (Tamil Nadu) Pon. Swaminathan by Director of Archaeology G. Prem Kumar and Palace Superintendent Rajesh Kumar.
In turn, the sword was handed over to a representative of the Maharaja, V. Sudharshna Kumar, by Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam in the presence of Minister for Dewaswom Board and Health V.S. Sivakumar and Parasala MLA A.T. George.
The sword was taken to Padmanabhapuram Thevarkattu Saraswathi Amman Temple to be kept on the feet of the deity.
After a puja, a caparisoned tusker carried the idol of Goddess Saraswathi, followed by the idol of Velayutha Perumal from Velimalai Murugan Temple and the idol of Munnuthitha Nangai from Sthanumalayan Temple in Suchindram in palanquins to the palace.
After a puja and offerings by the devotees, the procession began to Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram with a “guard of honour’’ by Kerala and Tamil Nadu police. The deities will halt at Mahadevar Temple in Kuzhithurai on Sunday night.
On the first day, the idol of Goddess Saraswathi would be taken to a room at the southern end of Chokitta Mandapam for the ceremony of placing sacred granthas and weapons, including the maharaja’s sword, at the feet of the idol for puja.
At the end of the 10-day festivities, the deities would be brought back to the respective temples.