Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple, Pathanamthitta – Festivals

Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple, Pathanamthitta – Festivals

Aranmula Brahmotsavam:

The annual Utsavam commences on the Atham Nakshatra in the month of Makara and concludes ten days later on the Thiruvonam day. Garuda Vahanam Ezhunellippu is the main event during this ten-day festival. This event falls on the fifth day of the annual festival and is also called Anchaam Purappadu. The deity is taken out from the sanctum sanctorum mounted on Garuda. It is believed that all 33 million Gods and Demi-Gods would be present in the temple at that time to witness Lord Krishna riding on his vahana, the Garuda.

Ashtami Rohini:

This is the birthday of Lord Krishna. The temple celebrates this festival with great pomp and grandeur. A large feast takes place on this date. This feast also has a name, ‘vallasadya.’ It is one of the largest vegetarian feasts of the world. The festival includes 64 types of dishes. The devotees offer the food to Lord Krishna. Besides feasting, the deities are carried around Aranmula on this day. Another important part of the festival is the boat rides. A special boat, Palliyodam sails over River Pampa. These boats look like snakes and many people ride them. This custom of boat race also has a name, Vallam Kali.

People worship the boat before the race starts as locals believe these boats are vehicles of Lord Aranmula. People use many types of flowers to worship the boats. 100 rowers take part in the race. Also 25 singers take part in this race. They sing songs as the boats sail on the river. The boats sail in pairs. People also play music. The festival goes on from July to October. This is also the time of Onam festival in Kerala.

Arrattu Festival:

The Malayalam month of Meenam witnesses a festival where Aranmula Parthasarathy is taken in a grand procession on the garuda mount to the Pampa river bank, where an image of the Bhagwati from the nearby Punnamthode temple is brought in procession for the Arrattu festival.

Khandavanadahanam:

This festival takes place during Dhanus month. Devotees create an artificial forest at the temple front. People use dried plants, leaves and twigs to make the forest. A bonfire is lit after this. This festival shows the fire that took place at the Khandavana forest. This is also a story from Mahabharata.

Aranmula Uthrattathi Boat Race:

As per Hindu legend in Mahabharata, Arjuna, one of the Pandavas was returned with the idol of Krishna that he got after a long penance in the Pamba river in a raft made with six bamboos. Aranmula Boat Race is celebrated annually on the Pamba river on the last day of the Onam festival. The festival was largely a religious one until 1978, when the Government of Kerala declared it a sports event, but during 2000, the religious festivities were restored. Snake boats around 100 ft. (30 m) with four helmsmen, 100 rowers and 25 singers participate. The boats move in pairs to the rhythm of music. After the watersport, there is an elaborate feast in the Aranmula temple. 

Onam Vallasadya:

Vallasadya is an important ritualistic offering of a sumptuous feast by the devotees to the presiding archa murthi at the Aranmula temple during the annual Onam festival season organized by the Palliyoda Seva Sanghom (PSS) in association with the Travancore Devaswom Board, the temple administrative body. The feast is offered to the crew of Palliyodams (specially built snake boats) taking them as representatives of Lord Parthasarathy.

Uthradom Thirunaal Marthanda Varma of the erstwhile Travancore royal dynasty will formally inaugurate the Vallasadya at the Aanakkottil of the Parthasarathy Temple immediately after the Utchapuja. The snake boat crew will reach the temple to accept the feast offered to them by a devotee. They will be accorded a customary reception at the temple Ghats and will be escorted to the temple premises with the accompaniments of traditional percussion and Thalappoli.

The oarsmen will offer Nirapara (a measure of threshed paddy), tobacco and betel leaves before the golden temple mast and circumambulate the temple, singing Vanchippattu (songs in praise of Lord Krishna). As many as 48 different items of side dishes, fried items, sweets and payasam will be served at this unique ritualistic feast.

Fasting during Thiruvonam: 

This custom take place during Thiruvonam. Three Brahmin families in Aranmula fast at this time. Brahmin families from Nedumprayar village also fast at this time. This is a two-century old custom. As per myth, one Brahmin vowed to feed one pilgrim every day. Lord Krishna was pleased with the vow. Thus, he came to bless the priest. The Brahmin was very happy and he started to conduct a feast every year. This feast takes place after the boat race.

Other Festivals:

Big Pushpa Abhishekams in May and 12-day Kalapam Festival in November when the Lord is decorated completely with Chandanam is a beautiful sight to watch are the other festivals celebrated here.