THRISSUR: Thousands thronged the east and west porticos of the Koodalmanikyam temple on Sunday in Irinjalakkuda to witness the procession of caparisoned elephants held as part of the siveli.
The siveli ezhunnellippu witnessed 17 elephants, bedecked in all festival paraphernalia amid the drumbeats of pancharimelam. Peruvanam Kuttan Marar and Thrippekkulam Achuthan Marar led the percussion ensembles.
Elephant Thiruvambadi Chandrasekharan carried the idol with two baby elephants - Vettathu Gopikannan and Manaserry Ganapati - parading either side of the idol carrying elephant.
The siveli processions will be performed in the morning and night till May 12. The 11-day annual festival will conclude with arattu on May 13. Apart from the procession, almost all traditional performing art forms are beingconducted at the Koothambalam during the festival days.
While Seethangan thullal was performed by P K Neelakandan Nandipulam in the eastern portico following the siveli, Nandkumar Raja performed ‘Pathakam,’ a traditional art of storytelling at the western portico on Sunday.
Other performing arts like kurathiyattam, chakyarkoothu, nangiarkoothu, thayambaka, ashtapadi and ottamthullal were performed at different venues in the temple.
The Sangamesha Mahatmyam Kathakali performance and dance drama staged on Saturday midnight were riveting and eloquent and it enthralled the audience.
The first part of the Nalacharitham attakatha and Balivadham will be performed on Wednesday and the remaining three parts will be followed in the next days.
The Kathakali performances which begin at 12 mid-night from the 2nd day of the festival are a unique feature of the Koodalmanikyam temple, where Lord Bharata, brother of Lord Rama, is worshiped as Lord Sangamesha and it is the only temple in the country dedicated to Lord Bharata.