KOCHI: The eight-day-long Vrischikolsavam, the annual festival of the Tripunithura Poornathrayeesa temple which heralds the festival season in the state, will begin on Saturday. Curiously, this will be the first Vrischikolsavam the Cochin Devaswom Board is conducting under its direct supervision following a recent High Court order, instead of the Sreepoornathrayeesa Seva Sanghom whose term ended in 2015. The court has also appointed an advocate commissioner to supervise the whole event. The festival will begin with the kodiyettu, the temple priest hoisting the flag in the presence of devotees, at 7 pm. Special poojas and abhishekam will be performed prior to the flag hoisting ritual.
Minister for Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran will inaugurate the cultural programmes to be organised during the eight days of the festival after the flag hoisting ceremony. Kalamandalam Gopi, Kalamandalam Sankara Warrier and Peruvanam Satheesan Marar will be honoured during the event. The festival will showcase Kathakali, thayambaka, panchavadyam, classical dances, Carna-tic music concerts and violin concerts during the eight days. Vrischikolsavam is an occasion for percussion lovers across the state to enjoy the performance of noted percussionists. Melam (percussion) will be performed on all festival days during the morning and night. Renowned percussionists like Peruvanam Kuttan Marar and Mattannoor Sankaran-kutty Marar will lead the melam and thayambaka.
Ritualistic percussion ensembles like ‘kurumkuzhal pattu’, ‘kombu pattu’, ‘maddala pattu’ and ‘parisha vadhyam’ are other major highlights. As always, about 15 caparisoned elephants will parade in the ‘ezhunnelippu’ to be held during the festival days. Thrikketta purappadu, cheriya vilakku and valiya vilakku, most important rituals of the festival, will be on November 21, 23 and 24, respectively. The temple and police authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival. Traffic will be regulated during the festival days and vehicles will not be allowed to enter the Temple Road from the Statue junction. Parking will not be allowed at busy junctions and roads like East Fort, Market road, Kalikkotta Palace road and Statue junction.
