MALAPPURAM: The Mahamagha Mahotsavam, the Kumbh Mela of Kerala, kicked off on Friday on the banks of the Bharathapuzha at Thirunavaya with special poojas.
Under the guidance of Swami Abhinava Balananda Bhairava, devotees from different Hindu sects in the state performed deity worship and ancestral rites at Thirunavaya in the morning in accordance with their respective traditions.
From 6 am, a Veera Sadhana ceremony was conducted under the guidance of Ayinipulli Vaishakh. On Saturday morning, Cherumukku priest Vallabhan Akkithiripad will officiate the Vedic Shraddha Karma as the Acharya, marking the formal inauguration of the Kumbh Mela at Thirunavaya.
The festival will officially start on February 19 with the inauguration by Governor Rajendra Arlekar on the Navamukunda temple premises at 11 am. The fest will continue till March 3. Mahamagham Sabhapati Mahamandaleshwar Swami Anandavanam Bharathi said preparations are in place for the smooth conduct of ceremonies.
Though the step memo issued by the Thirunavaya village officer halting temporary construction works on the river banks is yet to be withdrawn, special permission has been granted by the district administration to hold the fest.