KOCHI: Vavu bali holds a significant place in the tapestry of Kerala’s cultural heritage. Every year, thousands throng the Aluva Manappuram to perform the ritual of bali or pitru tharpanam, offering their homage to departed souls.
Since ancient times, it has been considered auspicious to conduct the rituals on the premises of the Sri Mahadeva Temple, about 22km from Kochi, on the banks of the Periyar. This year, too, devotees started descending on the riverbank in the wee hours. Many of them had stayed overnight on the temple premises.
A temple committee member pointed out that this year, the new moon and Karkidakam’s first day fell on the same day. Notably, there was a spike in involvement of the younger generation, probably driven by a renewed interest in returning to the roots and conserving cultural heritage.
“The participation of women and youth was much higher this year,” said the committee member. “We had set up 80 balitharas (platforms for rituals) on the manappuram (sand bank). Basic facilities, including food and water, were arranged on the temple premises.
Over 500 policemen and fire & rescue personnel were stationed to ensure the safety of devotees and the smooth conduct of rituals. This time, too, we adhered to the green protocol and banned the usage of plastic on the temple premises.”