ARANMULA: The annual vallasadya offerings at Lord Parthasarathy temple began on Thursday with thousands of devotees participating in the feast, at the make-shift auditoriums located on all the four sides of the nalambalam of the temple.
An aggregate number of 17 palliyodams of a total of 51 took part on the first day of the vallasadya. The ceremony as part of the vallasadya began after the Uchcha pooja at the temple at 11 am, after giving a traditional reception to the members of the palliyodams.
On arrival at the temple ghats of the Pampa river, the oarsemen and singers of the 17-odd palliyodams were given a traditional reception by the devotees who offer the vallasadya and led them to the front side of the golden flagmast.
NSS registrar and Chengannur NSS taluk union president K N Viswanathan Pillai inaugurated the vallasadya by lighting the traditional lamp and offering vallasadya dishes, including sweets, on a plantain leaf in the name of Lord Parthasarathy.
TDB member P K Kumaran, devaswom assistant commissioner G Venugopal and Aranmula temple administrative officer K Gopalakrishna Pillai, Palliyoda Seva Sangam acting president Sankaranarayana Pillai and secretary Ratheesh R Mohan were present on the occasion.
After the inaugural ceremony, members of the palliyodams and devotees were offered vallasadya. The vallasadya distribution, which began at 12 noon, extended up to 3 pm.
The sadya is offered to the snake boat members who are invited by the devotee for the offering.