Thousands honour the dead with Karkadaka Vavu bali ritual
Express News Service
According to a senior police official, the ritual began at Shangumugham around 2.30 am. The people were not allowed to take a dip at the sea as special showers were arranged on the beach. Everything went smoothly. (Photo | EPS/B P Deepu)Malayali devotees perform a 'Bali Tharpanam' cermony a sacrificial ritual performed in memory of the departed souls of ancestors on the banks of Kapra lake in Hyderabad. (Photo | EPS/R Satish Babu)Hindus gather in hundreds on riverbanks and beaches to perform the Karkidaka Vavu Bali --or simply called Bali-- to honour their dead ancestors. (Photo | EPS/R Satish Babu)Bali Tharpanam is thought to bring peace and eternal rest to ancestors. In image: People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Kozhikode . (Photo | EPS/Manu R Mavelil)The ritual, performed on Amavasi (No moon day), is believed to help departed souls attain moksha. In image: People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Kozhikode . (Photo | EPS/Manu R Mavelil)People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Kozhikode . (Photo | EPS/Manu R Mavelil)People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Kozhikode . (Photo | EPS/Manu R Mavelil)During the ritual, men wear a dhoti and the offerings are made on a banana leaf that will later be immersed in the waters. In imageL People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Kozhikode . (Photo | EPS/Manu R Mavelil)Some of the important accompaniments needed to perform the Bali include Darbha (grass), ellu (sesame seeds), pavithram (ring formed from grass), cooked rice, banana leaves and water. In image: People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Kozhikode . (Photo | EPS/Manu R Mavelil)It is customary for the person performing the bali to take rice or rice-made food only once on the day before the day of the ritual, called orikkal (meaning once). In image: People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Tiruchy. (Photo | EPS/B P Deepu)Taking a dip in the waters before and after the ritual is necessary. In image: People offering Karkkidaka Vavu Balitharpanam at Varakkal beach in Tiruchy. (Photo | EPS/ M K Ashok Kumar)
