The 28th Ekadasi Vilakku was offered by the State Bank of Travancore at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Swamy temple on Sunday. The Sampoorna Ekadasi Neyvilakku celebrations began with the kazhchasiveli at 7 am, accompanied by pancharimelam, led by Kizhakoottu Aniyan Marar.
The Vilakku procession began at 9.30 pm. Around 1,000 lamps were lit around the temple when the idol of Guruvayurappan was taken out in a procession accompanied by panchavadyam.
Gajaratnam Guruvayur Padmanabhan carried the golden idol while Annamanada Parameswara Marar and party led the panchari melam for vilakku ezhunnellippu. A thayambaka performance was staged by Paramekkavu Ajeesh Namboothiri and Aneesh Namboothiri.
Various cultural programmes, including a bhakthi ganamela by Biju Narayanan, were held at the Melpathur auditorium as part of the celebrations. Senior officials and employees from SBT branches and senior officers from various zonal and regional offices witnessed the Ekadasi vilakku. The vilakku performed on Saturday was an offering made by the state police with kazhchasiveli.
The vilakku is offered a month before the Ekadasi day. The Guruvayur Devaswom will perform the vilakku on Ekadasi day on November 24.