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The Hindu
02-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
TDB withdraws from Vallasadya amid protests, Palliyoda Seva Sangham to continue paid feast
The controversy surrounding the conduct of Vallasadya, a ritualistic feast offered at the Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy temple, has come to a close for the time being with the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) withdrawing its decision to organise the event through its own booking system. Confirming the move, TDB president P.S. Prasanth said that all bookings made through the board for the feast to be held on Sunday had been cancelled with immediate effect. 'As the authority responsible for administering the temple, the board does not wish to turn Aranmula into a site of discord. We have therefore decided to cancel the programme,' he said. Meanwhile, the Palliyoda Seva Sangham (PSS) will proceed with its paid feast for participants of the KSRTC Budget Tourism Cell's package tours.'Due to limited seat availability, online booking for the special pass (paid sadya) has been suspended for this month. Bookings for September will begin by mid-August,' informed K.V. Sambadevan, president of the PSS, in a statement. Strong protests The board's earlier decision to conduct Vallasadya within the temple premises without involving the traditional Palliyodams and while collecting money from devotees had sparked strong protests from the PSS. Tensions escalated when members of the PSS staged a protest inside the temple as guests under the TDB's scheme began arriving. A last-ditch effort by the devaswom board to hold a conciliatory meeting on Friday also failed, after the PSS boycotted the talks citing that some of their representatives were denied entry. The board, however, maintained that it had not barred anyone, but merely asked to restrict participation to the permitted number of delegates. 'We had already accepted bookings for Sunday and requested the PSS to accommodate our guests at the auditorium outside the temple for one last time,' said a board official. 'However, the PSS was unwilling to relent. To avoid any disturbances inside the temple, the board has decided to cancel the package altogether,' he added. Grand feast Vallasadya is a revered tradition in Aranmula, wherein a grand feast is offered to Lord Parthasarathy and served ceremonially to the oarsmen of Palliyodams, ornate snake boats that arrive from various villages along the Pampa river. The oarsmen are ritually welcomed at the temple ghats and then led inside for the feast. Currently, devotees wishing to sponsor a Vallasadya must do so through the PSS office after obtaining approval from one of the 52 Palliyodams participating in the tradition.
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- The Hindu
Vallasadya season begins at Aranmula
The rhythmic chants and sweep of palliyodams (snake boats) have once again returned to the banks of the Pampa River as the season of Vallasadya, a unique ritualistic feast associated with the Onam festivities at the Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy temple, commenced on Sunday. Hundreds of devotees gathered at the temple premises here to take part in the event. By morning, oarsmen on board seven palliyodams (snake boats) arrived at the temple ghats to a rousing reception. The oarsmen, clad in traditional attire, were welcomed with betel leaves, areca nuts and tobacco, before being ceremoniously led into the temple grounds. In a scene charged with devotional fervour, the boat crews circumambulated the sanctum, chanting the vibrant verses of the Vanchippattu (boat songs) in praise of Lord Krishna, the temple's presiding deity. Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar formally inaugurated the event by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Health Minister Veena George, MP Anto Antony, and other dignitaries were also present . This year, 52 palliyodams from villages lining both sides of the Pampa, from Idakkulam to Chennithala in Alappuzha —will participate in the celebrations. A major cultural spectacle, the Vallasadya and the accompanying regatta have long been a magnet for pilgrims and tourists alike. The famed Aranmula boat race is scheduled for September 9, followed by the grand Ashtami Rohini Vallasadya on September 14. The season will culminate on October 2. To ensure the smooth conduct of the celebrations, a special committee formed by the Palliyoda Seva Sangham (PSS) is overseeing the arrangements. Security has been intensified in and around the temple precincts and a fire and safety scuba diving team has been deployed at the river ghats.
