ALUVA: Thousands of people converged on the banks of major rivers, beaches and holy shrines across the district to offer customary ‘bali,’ to propitiate the souls of their ancestors in the ‘Karkkidaka Vavu Bali’ rites on Friday.
The legendary Periyar river was dotted with banana leaves, darbha grass, ring made of darbha grass, sesame and cooked rice.
Thousands of devotees who performed ‘bali tharpanam’ (paying homage to their ancestors) at the Aluva Sivarathri Manappuram offered bali rituals on banana leaves, along with other offerings at the river and the customary ‘bali dips’ in the river.