Magical sight! Serpent god appears before Mannarasala 'Valiamma' Savithri Antharjanam

HARIPAD: A feeling of contentment and witnessing something magical struck most devotees at the Mannarasala Ayilyam festival on Sunday. This was the first Ayiliyam Pooja in Thulam month after Savithri Antharjanam's ascension as the chief priestess of the temple.

Devotees thronged the temple on the festival while heavy rush was observed on Sunday morning. ‘Valiamma’ Savithri Antharjanam gave darshan to devotees who first took blessings from serpent deities Nagaraja and Nagayakshi.

The Ayilyam festival in the month of Thulam is happening after a gap of seven longer years.

Offering a rare spectre of the festival and leaving many in awe, a snake appeared on the pathway after the conclusion of the Ayilyam Pooja headed by Savithri Antharjanam. According to legend, the snake god appeared to see off Amma to her abode.

The Ayiliyam Pooja ended on Saturday night around 11.30 pm. After obtaining Amma's permission, the senior family member MG Jayakumar conducted the Thattil Noorumpalum ritual, a unique worship of the serpent gods, marking the end of the festival. After this, Amma's ritualistic temple visit took place.

While Amma was on her way towards Ilam (the house of a Namboodiri Brahmin), the snake considered to be the serpent god appeared on cobblestones, on the north side of the temple. The surreal moment made Amma and her clan bow before the snake god. The snake soon slithered upon a tree while Amma ambled towards her residence. After Amma entered the house, the snake crawled down and moved towards a Kavu (Abode of Snakes) on the west side of the temple.

The rare sight will remain etched into the minds of devotees. Many consider the rare sight as the pious mother-son relationship between Mannarsala Nagaraja and ‘Valiamma’.