PATHANAMTHITTA: Kulathinal Gangadharan Pillai, 92, Guruswamy of the Thiruvabharanam Petaka Vahaka Sangham, who was associated with the annual Thiruvabharanam procession from Pandalam to Sabarimala for nearly seven decades, died on Friday.
A native of Pandalam, Pillai first accompanied his father Komattu Narayana Pillai, who was a Guruswamy of the Thiruvabharanam carrier team, on the procession when he was 18. He continued the pilgrimage for 68 years without a break, carrying the sacred ornaments from Pandalam to Sabarimala.
Though he had stopped accompanying the procession in recent years, Pillai continued to play a role in the tradition. He was responsible for bringing the Thiruvabharanam chest from the Pandalam Palace to the temple ahead of the annual procession.
Pillai was also known for his knowledge of the traditional Thiruvabharanam routes and the places associated with the historic journey. His memories of the old routes and the journeys of earlier generations had helped efforts to document and preserve the traditional pathways.