Pathanamithitta, August 1, 2013: The annual season of Vallasadya, ritualistic feast, at the Sree Parthasarathy temple at Aranmula began on Wednesday.

Singing Vanchippattu, songs in praise of Lord Parthsasarthy, oarsmen of 15 Palliyoda Karayogams reached the temple ghats on the Pampa river on their Palliyodams (snakeboats) to partake of the feast in the forenoon. Travancore Devaswom Board president M.P. Govindan Nair, accompanied by the board members Subhash Vasu and P.K. Kumaran and K. Sivadasan Nair, MLA, gave them a ceremonial welcome by offering betel leaves, tobacco and areca nuts.

The snakeboat crew, holding oars and singing Vanchippattu, circumambulated the temple.

Soon after the Utchapuja at the temple, a sumptuous feast was served to the deity at the Aanakkottil in front of the golden temple mast in an atmosphere charged with devotion, marking the formal beginning of the Vallasadya.

K.V. Sambadevan, Palliyoda Seva Sanghom president; Ratheesh R. Mohan, secretary; K. Sankarayana Pillai, treasurer; P. Mohanachandran, convener; P.R. Balachandran, TDB secretary; B. Unnikrishnan, Deputy Commissioner, and Jayasree, Assistant Commissioner, attended the function. Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma of the Kowdiar Palace, and Subhash Chand, lawyer at the Kerala High Court, were among those who offered the ritualistic feast on Wednesday. The feast with 43 side dishes was served to the oarsmen at the Oottupura (temple dining hall) and on the temple premises, later. The crew of 15 snakeboats belonging to the Palliyoda Karayogams of Cherukol, Punnanthottom, Edasserimala-East, Koipram, Poovathoor-West, Venpala, Umayattukara, Varayannoor, Thottappuzhassery, Maramon, Thekkemuri, Thekkemuri- East, Thaimaravumkara, and Laka-Edayaranmula took part in the Vallasadya. The 64-day season of Vallasadya will come to a close on October 2.

Source: The Hindu, August 1, 2013