61 elephants participate in Thrissur aanayoottu
THRISSUR: A large crowd gathered at Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur on Tuesday ignoring heavy rain to witness the aanayootu ceremony, a traditional feeding ritual for elephants.
The annual event saw the participation of 61 elephants, including 15 females, from various parts of the state. The temple’s main priest Cherumuku Sreeraj Narayanan inaugurated the ceremony by offering rice balls to Guruvayur Devaswom’s Lakshmi.
“Over the years, the aanayoottu has grown into a significant cultural event in the city, attracting people who admire elephants in their natural form, without any decorative adornments. Despite the inclement weather, a substantial number of people gathered at the temple to witness the ritual that we consider as an offering to God,” said T R Hariharan, the temple’s advisory committee secretary.
The jumbos entered the temple through the West entrance, where special arrangements were made for the public to witness the ceremony.
The elephants were served with 500 kg of rice, along with jaggery, turmeric powder, and an assortment of fruits such as watermelon, pineapple, corn, sugarcane, and apples. Devotees, including women and children, enthusiastically joined temple authorities and volunteers in feeding the elephants.
Several prominent tuskers like Puthupally Kesavan, Kadekkachalil Ganeshan, Pambadi Sundaran, Cochin Devaswom Board’s Ernakulam Sivakumar, Guruvayur Devaswom Board’s Gokul, Rajasekharan, Ayyappankutti, and Devadas, and Paramekkavu Kashinathan participated in the ceremony. “On this Karkkidakam day, we visited the Sree Vadakkumnathan temple to offer prayers and witness the aanayoottu. It’s a joy for our children to see these majestic creatures,” said Sandhya, who visited with her family.
Revenue Minister K Rajan, MLA P Balachandran, ADGP P Vijayan, city police commissioner R Elango, Cochin Devaswom Board president M K Sudarshan, temple advisory committee president P Pankajakshan and other dignitaries were present at the occasion.
