The post-funeral rites of Travancore royal family former head Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma were held here on Wednesday. Uthradom Thirunal’s nephew and successor Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma offered the bali ritual at Levee Hall, Kottakakam.
Later, in a closed function held on the Kowdiar Palace premises, the ashes were collected and kept at ‘asthithara’, the designated structure to keep the ashes.
The ashes will be sprinkled in the Ganges at Varanasi after a year. The rites will conclude on December 26.
The rituals to anoint the next head will begin soon after the ‘vaalaima’ (the mourning period during which family members abstain from religious activities) ends on December 26.
The royal family will assign a Brahmin representative to oversee the ongoing ‘Murajapam’ ritual at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and lead the ‘Sheeveli’ ritual as part of it on December 21.
The further ‘Sheevelis’ and concluding ‘Lakshadeepam’ ritual will be led by the new head, palace sources said.
Moolam Thirunal, who serves as the head of the Aspinwall Company, will shift his office from Managalore to the capital.
The head of the royal family has to visit the temple every morning, a tradition dating back to 1870, when the then ruler Marthanda Varma submitted his kingdom to the presiding deity in the ‘Thrippadidanam’ ritual.