Ritual is to commemorate the visit of the goddess
A group of fisherman folk have left for Kodungalloour to take part in the ‘Bharani’ festival and to pay obeisance to the presiding deity of the temple there.The century-old ritual is to commemorate the mythological visit here by the goddess.
As many as 212 fisher-folk, including 98 elderly women, residing around the Sri Kurumba Bhagavathi temple near the Kasaragod beach locality left their homes in a country-made boat to reach the temple town on Monday to take part in the “Bharani” festival held in the Malayalam month of ‘Meenam.’In relation to the previous years’ tally of 416 fisher-folk, including 150 women, visiting the shrine from here, this year the number has come down owing to financial crunch, K. Chthrangan, 40, son of Kumaran, who had been undertaking the visit since he was five without break, told.
Mr. Chithrangan said the dedicated visit was to commemorate the mythological visit here of the goddess during her trip to the north zone.Being a “Malanadan” (Malayalee) girl, the goddess, who could not comprehend the Tulu language when she reached Mangalore, made a hasty retreat to the south after visiting the sea shore here.
Ritual to continue
The residents, who were believed to have been afflicted with measles, found their disease vanished in no time after the visit of the goddess. Since then, the fishermen folk from here undertook regular visits to Kodungalloor to take part in the festivities, he said, adding the generation next would sure continue the tradition.The “Araya” (fishermen) communities visiting Kodungalloor usually got special reception at the shrine, he said.