KOCHI : The banks of the Periyar saw thousands arriving at Aluva Manappuram to perform bali tharpan rituals as a part of the Shivaratri festival. The bali tharpan rituals began with the offering of prayers and rites at the Shiva Temple followed by the ritualistic procession.
According to N Ajith Kumar, administrative officer, Aluva Siva Temple, the rites and rituals as part of the festival began at 10 pm and ended with the ritualistic procession at 12 am. “As soon as the procession was over, the bali rituals began on the banks of the Periyar where 90 sacrificial altars for offering bali were set up,” he added.
“Priests numbering 79 supported by junior priests helped perform each ritual taking not more than a minute,” he said. According to him, everything was set up taking care to not cause any undue delay or hardship to the devotees arriving to offer bali to their ancestors. “Barricades set up all along the steps leading to the river, along with scuba divers and the police patrol boats, ensured that no accidents happened. We had also installed CCTV cameras to monitor the entire area,” said the administrative officer.
As for food and drinking water, he said, “Food was being provided right from Friday morning and continued till Saturday. Food was being served to devotees as and when they arrived after offering bali.” The smooth movement of devotees to and from the banks of the river was ensured with the help of around 2,000 cops. “Various government departments worked together like a well-oiled machinery to ensure smooth conduct of the festival,” he added.