THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: City folks have a rare opportunity to taste the sumptuous feast well before Onam. Thanks to the ‘Aranmula Vallasadya’ and ‘Payasamela’ organised by ‘Suhurthukkal’, which began at Kanakakkunnu here on Friday.
A number of people relished the 56-dish sumptuous Aranmula Vallasadya, comprising four payasams, on Friday, usually served to the oarsmen of snake boats in a ceremonious ritual at the Sree Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula.
The custom of this unique ritual is that devotees who offer Vallasadya to the presiding deity have to serve the feast to the crew of the Palliyodams, which are the snake boats belonging to the presiding deity. Feast served to the crew is considered to be an offering to the Lord himself.
Various dishes are served in the background of songs sung to the tune of ‘Kuchelavritham Vanchipattu’. And a team of singers will announce the dishes required for the people through a song. ‘Kudineeru Kodukkenam Madikoodathe hoyi...Gajapada Valipathil Pappadam Venam hoyi...’ these are the songs for serving drinking water and ‘pappadam’.
``Songs are the fuel of ‘Palliyodams’. Usually, we would sing songs from ‘Bheeshma Parvam’, ‘Kuchela Vritham’, ‘Santhana Gopalam’, ‘Palazhimathanam’ and ‘Vechupattu’,’’ said Thankappan Nair, who has been singing ‘Vanchi Pattu’ for the past 55 years. He leads the five-member group, comprising his grandson Akhil, Divakaran Nair, Babu and Viswanathan Nair.
The Payasamela offers about 20 varieties of payasams from 4 p.m. onwards every day. Besides, there are exhibitions of Aranmula Kannadi and Palliyodams. The five-day Vallasadya and Payasamela will conclude on August 25. The feast is being prepared by Parthan Catering Service, led by Chandrasekharan Nair and is available for Rs 150.
trivandrum@epmltd.com
