ALAPPUZHA: The flag-hoisting ceremony heralding the beginning of the annual festival of Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Swami temple was held on Sunday. Thantri Kadiyakol Krishnan Namboodiri and Puthumana Sreedharan Nampoothiri led the ceremony. A cultural meet was held after the flag-hoisting. Travancore Devaswom Board member K P Sankaradas dedicated various projects of the board for the temple on the occasion.
‘Velakali’, the traditional martial dance, is a main attraction of the festival, and it will begin on Monday. The annual festival will conclude on April 10 with ‘arattu’. The ‘Naatakasaala feast’, which is an important ritual as part of the ninth day festival, will be held on April 9 noon. Three varieties of pickles, palpayasam, adapradhaman, pazhapradhaman, gothambupayasam, four varieties of bananas, sambar and kaalan will be the main dishes served in the traditional feast.