MALAPPURAM: Before dawn breaks over the Bharathapuzha, when the river still holds the night’s silence and the first chants have not yet risen from the yagashala, a boat is already cutting through the water. At its helm is Yahutty, steady, watchful and tireless. In a festival defined by faith and ritual, his work remains largely unseen yet indispensable.
For the past 20 days, Paralakathu Yahutty, a native of Thirunavaya, has been as busy as the organisers of the Mahamagha Mahotsavam itself. Even as monks of the Juna Akhara preside over the sacred rituals, it is 50-year-old Yahutty who ensures the safety of thousands of devotees crossing the Bharathapuzha.
A Muslim by faith, Yahutty has been at the river from dawn to well past midnight, leading a 13-member team and operating three boats for nearly 20 hours a day to prevent mishaps in the fast-flowing Nila. His role has been crucial to the smooth conduct of the festival, which has drawn unprecedented crowds to Thirunavaya.
The main boat ferries monks and organisers to the yagashala located in the middle of the river, while two other boats remain stationed near the temporary bridge, ready for emergency rescue operations. “From January 19, when the Nila Aarti started, our work increased. We have been shuttling continuously between the yagashala and the temple, carrying monks, organisers and volunteers. After the first few days, the footfall became unprecedented, so two boats were permanently stationed near the temporary bridge for rescue services.”
For Yahutty, the work is more a service than a profession. He has not charged the Mahamagha Mahotsavam organisers any fee, accepting only food and basic maintenance costs for the boats.
“Normally, I rent out these boats for river surveys and other services at `2,500 per day,” he said. “But during the festival, the boats are running free of cost. We get food from the community kitchen and diesel expenses are covered. The workers are paid, but personally, I see this as service. We work more than 20 hours a day and often lose count of how many trips we make.”
Yahutty’s association with river safety began long before the festival. Since 2013, he has been part of the rescue team at the Navamukunda temple in Thirunavaya. “After a boy named Paresh drowned here in 2013, I became part of the temple’s rescue team. From then, I am always here by the river,” he said.