Kalpetta, August 7, 2013: Thousands of people offered ‘bali’ to propitiate their forefathers on the occasion of ‘Karkkidaka Vavu’ on Tuesday in the district.

Heavy rush of devotees was witnessed at the Sree Mahavishnu temple at Thirunelly and the Sree Rama Temple, Ponkuzhy, on the Kerala-Karnataka border from the early hours of the day.

From 2 a.m.

Nearly 14,000 devotees from Kerala and Karnataka performed ‘pithrutharpanam’ (paying obeisance to ancestors) in the Papanashini river beside the Sree Mahavishnu Temple at Thirunelly, T.T. Vinodan, temple executive officer, said .

The district administration had arranged facilities for devotees to offer ‘bali’ from Monday night. Special arrangements had been made on the banks of the Papanashini river.

The rituals started at 2 a.m., Mr. Vinodan said. Temple Chief Priest I.N. Krishnan Namboothiri performed special pujas at the temple in connection with ‘Karkkidaka Vavu.’

As many as 10 priests, led by A.C. Narayanan Namboothiri, assisted the devotees in the rituals.

As per custom, the devotees also visited the Mahadeva temple at Thrissilery, where they offered ‘vilakkum mala,’ the main offering at the temple.

It is believed that Lord Rama performed ‘bali’ for his father Dasaratha on the banks of the Papanashini.

The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation operated special bus services from Kattikulam to Thirunelly and Sulthan Bathery to Ponkuzhi.

Thousands thronged the banks of the Nugu River for offering ‘bali,’ where facilities were arranged by the Sree Rama temple authorities at Ponkuzhy, near Muthanga on the Kerala-Karnataka border.

Chief priest A. Gireesan Ayer led the rituals at the temple.

The bali rituals at the temples went on till 2 p.m.

At ‘Dakshina Kasi’

Staff Reporter writes from Kasaragod: Hundreds thronged the famed Thrikkannad Triambakeshwara temple in the district on Tuesday to perform ‘pithru tharpanam,’ seeking eternal peace to their departed predecessors.

Braving unrelenting rain, the young and the old alike, from across the district and outside, streamed into the temple, widely regarded as ‘Dakshina Kasi,’ right from 5 a.m. to offer bali in front of the temple facing the Arabian Sea.

The temple trust office-bearers, anticipating heavy rush on the auspicious day, had made elaborate arrangements to manage the crowds, temple trustee E. Raghavan Nair said.

This time, there were more priests present to ensure that the Vavu bali rituals did not stretch till late evening.

Security arrangements had been put in place by deploying around 50 volunteers as people took a dip in the rough sea as part of the ceremony.

Source: The Hindu, August 7, 2013