THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Niraputhari festival was held with religious fervour at the Sree Padmanabhaswami temple here on Sunday morning. The shrine witnessed a heavy rush on the day despite the hartal call by BJP.
Paddy sheaves for the rituals were handed over to the temple by Mayor V K Prasanth the other day. The sheaves were then placed at the mandapam on the south-east side of the temple pond Padmatheertham. On Sunday, temple staff led by executive officer V Ratheesan reached the pond around 5 am. A small procession carrying sheaves to the temple started about 5.20 am.
Thiruvambadi Kurup carried the sheaves on his head in the accompaniment of temple orchestra. He took the sheaves to the east gate of the temple where it was placed on a specially arranged seat before a lighted lamp at the Natakasala building. After sanctifying the sheaves by sprinkling punyaham, temple azhathi carried the sheaves on his head and circumambulated the Kizhakke Seevelippura. Temple dasas carrying fresh rice and aval (rice flakes) in bamboo baskets accompanied him.
They later proceeded to the sanctum sanctorum. After taking a round of the sanctum sanctorum, the sheaves were placed on a royal seat set up on the Abhishravan Mandapam. Afterwards, chief priest Periya Nambi Varikkadu Vasudevan Narayanan performed special rituals. He then took the fresh paddy to the sanctum sanctorum to offer to the Lord.
This offering was also made at the shrines of Lord Narasimha and Lord Krishna. Thekkedam Nambi Narasimham Perumal led the rites at the Lord Krishna temple.Along the daily offering of palpayasam, fresh rice flakes too were offered to Lord Sree Padmanabhaswami.