Thiruvananthapuram, Friday, August 5, 2011: The annual Niraputhari festival was celebrated with religious fervour at the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala on Friday.

The Sabarimala Sannidhanam witnessed heavy rush in the early morning hours as hundreds of devotees from different parts of south India thronged the holy hillock to witness the ceremony. Devotees believe that attending the annual fertility ritual will bring good luck and prosperity to them in the year ahead.

The ritualistic ceremony began at 5.30 in the morning. Devotees offered paddy spikes to the presiding deity before the holy eighteen steps (Pathinettampadi). The Melsanthi (head priest), Ezhikode Sasi Namboodiri, and other priests took the paddy spikes offered to the deity to the Namaskara Mandapam.

The temple Tantri (chief priest), Kandararu Rajeevaru, assisted by Melsanthi, performed the Niraputhari rituals. The ‘Putharipuja’ was performed, later, by 6 am.

The paddy spikes were taken out in a ceremonial procession to the sanctum sanctorum, with the accompaniments of the sacred Marappani and other temple orchestra. The Tantri performed deeparadhana, after offering rice flakes made of the fresh paddy offered by devotees as Nivedyam to the deity. The paddy spikes were distributed among the devotees as prasadom.

(News agency)