THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The annual ‘Niraputhari’ festival, which embarks the season of harvesting, will be celebrated at Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple on Thursday. Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil inaugurated it by handing over the crop harvested from the Putharikandam maidan to the temple authorities on Monday. Corporation deputy mayor P K Raju presided over, while the other standing committee chairpersons were present.
The crop was then taken to the temple, and the chief priest, after cleansing it in the water of Padmatheertham, offered a few strands to the deity as a symbol of the first yield of the harvest season. The deputy mayor expressed his happiness at the corporation’s success in sustaining a ritual that was part of the temple’s traditions.
According to the tradition, the dates for ‘nira’ and ‘puthari’ are selected by the Travancore royal family from a list of auspicious dates communicated from the temple. After the strands of paddy are placed in the sanctum sanctorum, beaten rice (aval) made from the newly-reaped crop will also be offered to the deity, along with a preparation of ‘pal payasam’.
Later, after a small portion is taken to the palace, the rest of the crop will be distributed to the priests and employees of the temple