KOLLAM: A temple in Kerala is conducting an annadaanam (ritual offering of food to devotees) in the name of the erstwhile Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, who passed away on January 10th, 2020. The ceremony was held at Edacheri Shri. Kakkannoor Devi Temple at Kozhikode district on Monday, the concluding day of the legendary Thira Mahotsav at the temple. During the ceremony, a traditional sadya was offered to around 4,500 people.

When an expat Malayali group first proposed the idea, the temple council welcomed the proposal with open arms. The funds were arranged by a collective of Omani expats from different districts of the state. Similar prayers and offerings were also conducted in this temple earlier when the Sultan was bedridden.

The thira mahotsav at the temple commenced this year on January 29. AK Radhakrishnan, secretary of the temple committee, said that it is a matter of great pride that expats approached the temple for the annadaanam in the name of the Sultan, who was a great leader and a humanist.