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Flood arattu for Ayyappan after five years

Bharathapuzha performs sacred bath for the idol
Kozhikode: For the last five years, the Bharathapuzha, the second longest river in Kerala, stood away from flowing into the Chamravattom Ayyappa Temple, which used to hold the sacred bath (arattu) of the idol every year during monsoon when the river waters flowed into the sanctum sanctorum. This year, devotees were happy because the river performed the ‘arattu’ for the idol after breaching its banks, after a long gap.
Noted Malayalam writer, C.Radhakrishnan said, “I am thrilled to see the river flowing full with a roar, which was a sight we had almost forgotten. I haven’t heard this roar in nearly a decade. There is now a resonance within me that matches the flow”. He recollects the time when the flooding was a routine affair during monsoon, when the Bharathapuzha would flow into the courtyards of houses on its banks, including his.
“Bharathapuzha was not just a river for us kids. It was our playmate, our friend. We used to play in its waters in the courtyards of our houses. But the countless check dams along its course destroyed the river. During summer, we used to have sand dunes and narrow pristine water streams in the river. Now we have lost that as well. When I see the river full, I feel as if I have once again found my long lost friend,” he added.
Many local people echoed the sentiments of the writer. Hundreds of devotees lined up on a bridge, constructed to take them to the temple, and prayed.
n People enjoy ‘rare sight’,
Those who loved Bharathapuzha, stood on its banks and enjoyed the rare sight of a river overflowing after so many years.
“It’s not just important for the devotees but also for every one of us who grew up on the banks of this river. The sand mafia killed this river and the flow had been so poor these past few years. We never thought we would once again get to see the river overflowing”, said Unnikrishnan, a native of Chamravattom.
After the waters seeped into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, the main priest of the temple went inside in a country boat and performed the special pooja as part of the ‘arattu’ celebration. Apart from devotees, many people from other parts of the district are coming to the spot to see the river in spate. Devotees are not allowed inside the temple compound and will only be allowed to pray from the bridge, till the monsoon gets over, sources said.

( Source : dc correspondent )
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