Procession starts from Padmanabhapuram; Navratri idols to be welcomed today

PADMANABHAPURAM: The idol procession left from Padmanabhapuram yesterday to shower Navaratri blessings on Ananthapuri. Thevarakettu Saraswathi, Velimalai Kumaraswamy and Suchindram Munnootti Nanga idols are coming in the procession.

The royal sword was handed over at 7:15 am at the Uppirikka Malika in the palace. Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally received the udaval from state archaeology department director E Dineshan.

Minister VN Vasavan received the sword and handed it over to Kanyakumari Devaswom Board Chairman Prabharamakrishnan as per tradition. MLAs CK Hareendran and A Vincent, Kanyakumari Collector R Alagumeena, Sub-Collector Vinay Kumar Meena, Travancore Devaswom Board President PS Prashanth, members A Ajikumar and G Sundaresan were present.

The idol of Saraswathi was put on an elephant. Kumaraswamy and Munnootti Nanga were put in palanquins. Kerala and Tamil Nadu police greeted the gathering. The procession left for Thiruvananthapuram at 9.30 am. The devaswom employees are accompanying with the sword as a symbol of the Maharaja of Travancore escorting the procession.

Last night, the idols were kept at the Kuzhithurai Mahadeva temple and a puja was performed. The idols will be welcomed by the Kerala Police, Revenue and Devaswom authorities at Kaliakkavilai this morning. The resting point is at the Neyyattinkara Sree Krishnaswamy Temple. The procession will reach Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow evening. From Karamana, Kumaraswamy will be raised on a silver horse. In the evening, the procession will be welcomed at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the royal sword will be handed over. After the aarattu in Padmatheertha, Goddess Saraswati will be worshipped in the Navarathri Mandapam, Kumaraswamy at the Aryashala Devi temple and Munnootti Nanga at the Chenthitta Devi temple.