A new season of temple festival starts in Central Kerala

THRISSUR: Thousands thronged the famous Thiruvilwamala Vilwadrinatha Temple situated near Ottappalam in Palakkad district on Thursday to witness niramala, a ritual performed on the first Thursday of the Malayalam month of Kanni that marks the beginning of a new festival season in the Central Kerala.
Devotees and festival-lovers packed the hilltop where the temple is situated from Wednesday evening itself.Special pujas were performed in the temple on Thursday early morning. Over 200 famous percussionists ranging from Kizhakoottu Aniyan Marar to Cherpulassery Sivan to new-generation artists visited the temple and prayed for the blessings of the lord for a good season ahead.
“Niramala rite, which has now been turned into a festival, marks a new season of festival in the State. It is a custom followed for the past many decades that the artists make an offering at the temple prior to their performances at the festivals that are to follow. Same is the case with elephants. Nearly 100 elephants were brought here today and they paid namaskaaram (respect) to the Lord Vilwadrinatha for blessings. Over 200 percussion artists performed in the temple today,” said an officer from the Cochin Devaswom Board that governs the temple.
On the day, the percussion performances began with ashtapathi by Kalamandalam Achuthan. That was followed by a panchari concert led by Kizhakoottu Aniyan Marar.
By the time the major-set panchavadyam led by Cherpulassery Sivan was started after noon during kaazhcha sheeveli, the entire temple area was filled with tens of thousands of devotees and festival lovers. The panchavadyam was followed by nadaswaram and thayambaka led by Kalamandalam Balaraman in the evening.
At 11 p.m., the celebrations reached its peak when the sheeveeli was carried out with double-thayambaka, madhala keli, kombu pattu, kuzhal pattu, melam and panchavadyam in which all the famous percussion artists in Central Kerala lined up for the blessings of the Lord Vilwadrinathan.
The elephants brought to the temple over the day included Managalamkunnu Karnan and Thiruvambadi Kuttikrishnan. Even the tusker decorations, including caparisons, used for tuskers during temple festivals, were displayed at the temple.