For the departed: thousands offer Karkidaka Vavu bali across Kerala

Karkidaka Vavu (the new moon in the Malayalam month of Karkidakam) bali rituals were conducted on a large scale across Kerala on July 28, with thousands thronging temples, beaches, and river banks to pay obeisance to their departed ancestors. The fervour is palpable as many had not been able to do bali tarpan for the last two years owing to the pandemic.

With hardly any COVID-19 restrictions in place, most ritual centres witnessed a huge rush as usual, and rituals too commenced early in the morning — as early as 3 a.m. in certain places.

Well-prepared for the crowd

A man arranges puja utensils for the Karkidaka Vavu bali at the Thiruvallam Parasurama Swamy temple in the capital city on Wednesday. (Source: Special Arrangement)

Under the guidance of respective district administrations, most major temples and ritual sites had been preparing for over a month, making elaborate arrangements to receive the crowd. Pandals that could accommodate hundreds of people at a time had been constructed well before the day, as were facilities for women devotees.

Importance of Karkidaka Vavu bali

As per Hindu beliefs, offering obeisance ( bali) to the departed souls on the new moon day of Karkidakam, the last month of Malayalam calendar that falls during July and August, helps them attain ‘moksha’ or, liberation.

This day usually witnesses Hindu families conducting Bali Tarpan rituals in large numbers in specific sacred sites across Kerala. However, due to the pandemic, the proceedings were largely subdued in the last two years.

As expected, people arrived in large numbers from early morning at the main venues in all the 14 districts. For instance, Thiruvallam Sree Parasurama Swamy temple on the bank of Karamana river, a major bali tarpan point in Thiruvananthapuram district, witnessed hundreds of families and individuals conducting the rituals.

Major ‘bali tarpan’ centres

A large number of people offering ‘bali’ on the Varakkal beach in Kozhikode on the eve of Karkidaka Vavu on Wednesday (Source: K Ragesh)

Apart from famous temples like Sree Parasurama Swamy temple, Aluva Mahadeva temple (Ernakulam), Thirunavaya Navamukunda temple (Malappuram) and Sree Thirunelli Mahavishnu temple (Wayanad), rituals were observed on a large scale at sacred beaches and river banks such as Varkala Papanasam beach (Thiruvananthapuram), Thirumullavaram beach (Kollam) near Thirumullavaram Sree Maha Vishnu Swami temple, Santhitheeram near Shoranur (Palakkad), and Kozhikode Varakkal beach.