Vadakkunnathan temple in Kerala hosts annual 'Aanayoottu' elephant-feeding ritual

Thrissur (Kerala), Jul 17 (PTI) Thousands of devotees braved heavy rain on Friday to witness the annual 'Aanayoottu' ceremony, the grand feeding of elephants at the historic Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple here, marking the beginning of the Malayalam month of Karkidakam. As many as 49 elephants, including nine female elephants, from different parts of Kerala assembled in the sprawling temple grounds to take part in the historical ritual, organised by the Vadakkunnathan Temple Advisory Committee with the support of the Cochin Devaswom Board, temple authorities said. Despite incessant rain throughout the morning, devotees thronged the temple to witness the unique spectacle, considered one of Kerala's most popular temple rituals associated with elephant worship and welfare. The day's rituals began with a Maha Ganapathi homam performed in the temple premises to invoke divine blessings. The elaborate offering involved 12,008 coconuts, 2,000 kg of jaggery, 2,000 kg of aval (flattened rice), 500 kg of puffed rice (malar), 60 kg of sesame seeds, 50 kg of honey, besides lemons and sugarcane, officials said. The Aanayoottu rituals commenced around 9 am when the temple's chief priest ceremonially offered the first ball of rice to female elephant Lakshmikkutty, signalling the beginning of the mass feeding. A specially prepared feast comprising 500 kg of cooked rice was served to the elephants. The rice balls were mixed with Ashtachoornam, a traditional Ayurvedic herbal powder, and rejuvenation medicines as part of the ritual. Besides the medicinal rice, the elephants were also fed an assortment of fruits and vegetables, officials added. The impressive lineup included some of Kerala's best-known captive elephants, such as Ernakulam Shivakumar, Paramekkavu Kalidasan, Pambady Sundaran, Puthuppally Sadhu and Puthuppally Kesavan. After the feast, elephants paid their obeisance to the deity and left through the eastern gate of the temple. The annual rejuvenation and wellness programme for the elephants will begin at the temple premises on Saturday and continue for the next one month. PTI TBA TBA VGN