KOCHI: The Ernakulam Nalambalam pilgrimage – the holy visits to the temples of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Sathrughna, located around Piravom – is set to commence on Sunday, the first day of the Ramayana month.
MLA Anoop Jacob will inaugurate the pilgrimage at a function at Piravom at 10 am. The pilgrimage starts with a visit to the Mamalassery Sreerama Swamy temple followed by a visit to the Sree Laksmana temple at Mullakulam. The pilgrims can complete the holy tour by visiting the Sree Bharath temple and Sree Sathrugnan Swami temple located on the Choodi-Pampakuda Road.
“All basic facilities for the pilgrims have been arranged at each temple. Similarly, food and prasadam will be provided. Arrangements for parking vehicles have been made,” said P P Suresh Kumar, secretary of Ernakulam Nalambalam pilgrimage programme.
KSRTC will be operating buses connecting temples on holidays. “The KSRTC bus will start from the Ernakulam bus station every morning and will take the pilgrims to the four temples. The bus will operate on Sunday and other holidays. All the temples are located within a 27-km radius in Piravom town,” said P G Manu, treasurer of the pilgrimage programme. Started in 2009, pilgrims from Kottayam, Idukki, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram make annual visits to the temples in Piravom.
Thrissur and Kottayam packages
Apart from Nalambalam in Ernakulam, DTPC has also launched tour packages to four temples in Thrissur and Kottayam districts.
The Thrissur Nalambalam Thozhal package covers the Moozhikulam Sree Lakshmana Perumal temple, Payammal Sree Shathruknha Swami temple, Koodalmaikyam temple and Thriprayar Sreerama temple. The spiritual tour to four temples of Rama and three brothers in Kottayam are located in the Ramapuram panchayat.