THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ancient ritual of carrying Navaratri idols from Suchindram temple, Tamil Nadu, to Padmanabhaswamy temple in the capital will begin on September 28 under elaborate security. The Navaratri procession with idols of Goddess Munnoottinanka will start from Sucheendram Temple on Wednesday morning.
Tamil Nadu Devaswom staff will carry the palanquin of the idol to Kalkulam Mahadeva Temple where the procession will halt for a night. On October 29, the idol of Lord Kumaraswami from Kumarakovil and a silver horse motif will join the procession at Kalkulam Temple. The two processions will then head to Padmanabhapuram Palace.
A third procession with an idol of Saraswathy will join the group here. The ceremonial handing over of an Udaval (sword) will happen here as per tradition at Uppirikikamalika of Padmanabhapuram Palace by 7.30 am. A Kerala police team will accord a Guard of Honour on the palace premises. The procession will enter Kerala at Kaliyikkavila on September 30 and will reach Parassala by 3 pm. Around 8 pm on the same day, it will halt at Neyyattinkara Krishna temple.
On October 1 morning, the procession will start from there to reach Nemom in the city limits by 11.20 pm. After a reception by tehsildar, poojas will be held, and the procession will reach Karamana by 6.30 pm. The journey will conclude at Padmanabhaswamy temple by 7.30 pm. “The devaswom board is planning to rope in five elephants for Navaratri procession,” said Travancore Devaswom president Prayar Gopalakrishnan.
