MALAPPURAM: A new chapter in Kerala’s spiritual and cultural heritage will unfold with the formal commencement of the Mahamagha mahotsavam at Thirunavaya on Monday. The festival will begin at 11am on the banks of the Bharathapuzha, with Governor Rajendra Arlekar inaugurating the event.
The inauguration will be marked by the traditional flag hoisting. Mahamagha sabha president Mahamandaleshwar Swami Anandavanam Bharathi, working chairman K Damodaran, chief coordinator K Kesavadas, and members of the Zamorin family will attend the ceremony. Nila Aarti will be held daily — led by the same priests who perform the Ganga Aarti — on the banks of the Bharathapuzha from Monday until February 3, the concluding day of Mahamagham.
Though Bharathapuzha has been central to Kerala’s spiritual traditions for centuries — especially for ancestral rites and holy dips — this marks the first time the river is placed at the centre of daily public worship through a structured evening ritual.
KSRTC to operate special budget tourism services
The KSRTC budget tourism cell has made extensive arrangements to facilitate pilgrim travel to Thirunavaya during the festival. Around 100 special services are planned from 14 districts, subject to booking demand. Of these, 55 buses have already been confirmed, according to S Shijil, district coordinator of the budget tourism cell in Malappuram.
The services will operate between January 22 and February 3. Packages are being designed to allow pilgrims from distant regions to reach Kadampuzha in the morning, perform rituals, and return after breakfast. Depending on time availability, visits to nearby temples will also be included.