Rituals-Aranmula

There are many rituals that are unique to the Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula and not found elsewhere. The famous Uthrittathy Vallam Kali, boat race, is just one of these. The temple is the centre of community life spread over a large area. These village units, called Karas, remain as beads of a garland around the temple. It is these Karas who own the Chundan Vallams, snake boats, which take part in the boat race and rituals. Making of the boats and rowing it require extra ordinary skills and these are traditionally handed over from generation to generation. The men folk of the Karas all assemble for the festivals, in olden days, it is said, for any eventuality once a call is made. All communities co-exist in this and the place has a liberal history with regard to community based ritual pollution that existed at other places.

 

Singing of Vanchi Pattu, what has come to be a Kerala identity, is part of not only the boat race, it is part of the feast and other rituals as well. It is not the devotional songs alone that are sung, or by the pious, it is a highly democratic system and moods of every hue can be seen sung. One can see songs being sung about the dishes of the Sadya, feast, also about women and love when returning back after the Vallam Kali tired in the evening. A time when women shall be taking bath on the river banks when the male folk became romantic. It is thus a versatile and worldly belief that rules, quite like the mischievous and amorous lad, Lord Krishna. It is an affirmative divinity at Aranmula, than one of denials or great rigor. It is also democratic and participative.

 

Offering food to the needy is a practice that is most important here. There is daily annadanam at the temple and the deity is called Anna Dana Prabhu or the Lord who provides food. The travelling ascetics who make their home at Aranmula temple premises are fed and well taken care of. The Valla Sadya, or boat feast, is offered for thousands of pilgrims on the days of Vallam Kali, boat race. Most of the activities are done with songs, Vanchi Pattu. And also there are frequent feasts for children. The well known pageantry of snake boats also is linked to bringing food materials to the temple from a rich family on the banks of the river. These are all popular and universal without any social divisions like caste coming in.

 

The Four Hills Gods as Guarding Saints

There are four hills at the four sides of the temple, thought of as guarding the temple and watching over the farming operations. Here the custodians were from the dalit Kurava community, who alone had the rights to priesthood here. These were . Essentially nature gods with the Sakteya worship, with meat and drinks not tabooed, this was conducted by specific families of dalit priests. Situated atop the small hillocks around the vast paddy fields the hill gods were considered powerful and regardless of caste or community every one paid obeisance there. In the interim days the beliefs waned due to the aversion of the new generations to take up the olden day tasks of priesthood. But efforts are on now to restore these practices.

 

Care of Ascetics at the Temple

Thiruvaranmula Devan, it is widely believed, is fond of those on the ascetic path and who come seeking refuge at the temple are always taken care of. A host of people, mostly old and who have left their homes, live around the temple premises. Since there is a Annadanam they remain here, taking alms from the pilgrims. Ascetics who give up all and take refuge in the Lord, called Saranagathi, is at the core of Hindu belief and Aranmula retains that tradition when many other temples this is discontinued or distorted. At many places, major temples, the Oottupuras, feeding houses for wandering monks, are remaining abandoned or are misused for other purposes. That was a distortion in the interim periods. This core ritual and its continuity is maintained at Aranmula. And no one dares abuse or ill treat the ascetics here, for that shall cause the wrath of the deity is what people believe, and they narrate the past instances of this happening.

 

Feast for Children

In Thiruvaranmula it is a tradition to feed children a sumptuous meal, what is considered pleasing to the young Lord Srikrishna. They are also to be bathed applying oil, scrubbed with incha, and then fed, all these by those offering the Vazhipadu. It is believed that the Lord will join the feast. Presently some of the devotees perform this ritual at the boys home called Sabari Balashram near the temple which houses the children.

 

Kampam

These include Kampam, a tradition of setting fire to dry aracanut leaves tied to a standing pole. This is a ritual of the children in the area, reminiscent of the mythical Khandava Dahanam. Here the Lord, as the young lad Sri Krishna, is supposed to be blessing those who partake in the ritual. Boys go around the houses singing Vanchi Pattu and collect the arecanut leaves, then on the appointed day tie it on the pole and set it on fire. That day the boys have all freedom to tease people, how so ever high up they are, and indulge in mischief and they do it with all child like abandon. There is also a system of throwing the fruits etc. offered to them back at the donors, which violates the rigid social relations

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Bharatha Para

This is a ritual offered by the priests of the Velan community who come with a small percussion instrument, a small drum similar to the Udukku, and sing and beat the drums, to, as believed, ward of evils of due to sight, nokku dosham, words, vakku dosham etc, what was a tradition in olden days. The Velan community is increasingly abandoning this ritual as the new generations are not very much in to the beliefs and seems not happy with the priestly role. It is also perhaps not economically and status wise very rewarding to safeguard the rituals for them. The society and the temple authorities shall have to promote this unique ritual.