Thousands of people go to Aluva Manappuram during Shivaratri to give bali tharpan

Thousands of people flocked to Aluva Manappuram along the banks of the Periyar to participate in the Shivaratri celebration by performing bali tharpan rites. The prayers and rituals offered at the Shiva Temple preceded the ceremonial procession in the bali tharpan procedures.

As to N Ajith Kumar, the administrative officer of the Aluva Siva Temple, the festival’s rites and ceremonies began at 10 pm and concluded with the ceremonial procession at 12 am. “The bali rituals started on the banks of the Periyar as soon as the procession was over, where 90 sacrificial altars for offering bali were set up,” he said.

He remarked, “Each ritual takes no more than a minute to perform, with the assistance of junior priests and a total of 79 priests.” He said that every arrangement was made with care to ensure that the devotees traveling to present-day bali to their ancestors would not experience any unnecessary delay or hardship. Scuba divers, police patrol boats, and barricades positioned around the river’s stairway made sure there were no mishaps. The administrative official said, “We had also installed CCTV cameras to watch the whole region.

Regarding food and water, he said, “Food was provided starting on Friday morning and going through Saturday.” After presenting bali, food was offered to devotees as and when they came. About 2,000 police officers helped to guarantee that worshippers could walk freely to and from the riverbanks. He said, “Many government departments collaborated like well-oiled machinery to ensure the festival ran smoothly.”