Vrischikolsavam comes to an end

TRIPUNITHURA: Vrischikolsavam, the eight-day annual festival of Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple, concluded with ‘kodiyirakkam’ (bringing down the holy flag) and ‘aarattu’(holy bath) rituals on Wednesday.Temple Thantri Puliyannoor Sasi Namboothiripad brought down the holy flag marking the conclusion of the festival. Later, he conducted ‘arayiruthi pooja’ (worshiping the tusker carrying the thidambu).Then the ‘aarattu’ procession carrying the ‘thidambu’ was taken out of the temple after receiving a guard of honour by the cops. Five caparisoned tuskers accompanied the procession. When the procession reached the western gateway, the tusker carrying the ‘thidambu’ bowed in front of Elayidathillam, the ancestral house of traditional temple trustee Vasudevan Valiya Moothathu.And when it reached the nadappura, traditional temple percussionist Mundembilly Balakrishna Marar sounded the conch followed by a scintillating panchavadhyam presentation in which Chottanikkara Vijayan Marar and Kunisseri Chandran played thimila and maddalam, respectively.The procession reached Chakkamkulangara Siva Temple, which was illuminated with thousands of diyas, by midnight.  After the ‘aarattu’ ritual, the procession returned to the temple with the accompaniment of ‘pandimelam’ headed by Peruvanam Kuttan Marar.