Kerala: Guruvayur temple festival begins with traditional flag hoisting ceremony

Thrissur: The annual Guruvayur Temple festival began with the traditional flag hoisting (Kodiyettam) ceremony. After the Deepaaraadhana (evening lamp worship), the temple's head priest (Thantri) and Ooralans (chief trustees) conducted the ceremonial Acharyavaranam, followed by the raising of the festival flag. The evening rituals included the Athazha Pooja (night worship), Sreebhootha Bali (ritual offerings to celestial spirits), and Kodippurath Vilakku (lamp lighting ceremony).

On Tuesday morning, rituals such as the Dik Kodikal Sthaapanam (flag installation at the temple’s cardinal directions), Kazhcha Seeveli (procession with temple idols), and Sreebhootha Bali are scheduled. The festival will conclude on the 19th of this month with the Arattu (holy bath) ceremony, followed by the lowering of the flag.

The 10-day festival commenced with a deeply devotional elephant-less Seeveli (procession inside the temple). Every day, Lord Guruvayurappan is paraded atop an elephant during the Seeveli, but on this one day each year, the procession is carried out without elephants. Despite the Guruvayur Devaswom owning 38 elephants, the morning Seeveli on Monday was conducted without any, marking a unique tradition in the festival’s proceedings.

On the Kodiyettam (flag-hoisting) day of the Guruvayur Temple festival, the Keerthishanthi (assistant priest), Mulamangalath Harikrishnan Namboothiri, carried the sacred golden idol (Swarnathidamb) of Lord Guruvayurappan in his hands. He held it close to his chest and completed three circumambulations (Pradakshinam) around the sanctum sanctorum, accompanied by devotees chanting the name of Lord Narayana.

According to temple lore, during ancient times when there were no elephants at the Guruvayur Temple, the Seeveli (procession) on the day of Kodiyettam had to be performed without elephants. It is said that by noon, elephants would suddenly arrive at the temple, hearing the sound of the temple bells and cymbals (Kudamani Kilukki). In remembrance of this legend, the morning Seeveli on the Kodiyettam day is still conducted without elephants, followed by the traditional Anayottam (elephant run) at noon. On this special day, elephants are brought into the temple premises only for the Anayottam event.

Over the course of nine days, food will be prepared to serve nearly three lakh devotees as part of the Guruvayur Temple festival. The Devaswom Chairman and members of the managing committee jointly lit the ceremonial fire at the temple kitchens to mark the beginning of this grand preparation. According to tradition, this sacred fire will continue to burn uninterrupted for the entire nine days of the festival, symbolizing devotion and continuity of service to the devotees.