Kerala:'Niraputhari' festival celebrated in Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple

Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], August 10 : The annual 'Niraputhari' festival, which marks the beginning of the harvest season, was celebrated in Sabarimala Sri Dharmashasta temple on Thursday.
Special rituals were conducted as part of the festival in the temple between 5.45 and 6.15 am.
Special puja was performed after placing paddy spikes brought to the temple for the festival and offered to Lord Ayyappa. The paddy spikes were distributed to devotees after the puja.
In the accompaniment of traditional temple percussion, the paddy spikes were taken out in a ceremonial procession to the sanctum sanctorum. The Tantri performed 'Deeparadhana' at the temple after offering rice flakes and 'payasam' made of fresh paddy as 'Nivedyom' to the deity.
The temple will be closed today at 10 pm after the Niraputhari festival and will be open the temple for Chingam monthly puja on August 16, said the temple authorities.