THIRUANANTHAPURAM: It is that time of the year again when everything else is given a rest to pay homage to the departed souls. As the believers are all set to offer ‘Karkidaka Vavu Bali’ to their departed ancestors on Saturday, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has made elaborate arrangements.This year, TDB has made arrangements to offer ‘bali’ at several centres in the district, including Thiruvallom Sree Parasurama Temple; Shangumugham beach; Aruvikkara; Kadinamkulam; Thamalam; Rameswaram near Neyyattinkara; Kelamangalam at Keraladithyapuram; Thrikulangara at Vellayani and Varkala Papanasam beach. Thiruvallom Sree Parasurama TempleIt is the most important centre where ‘Vavu Bali’ is offered and special steps have been taken for the convenience of devotees who will throng the Temple on Saturday. According to TDB, over 2,500 devotees can offer ‘Vavu Bali’ simultaneously at the temple. In a bid to reduce the congestion of devotees in the temple, the TDB authorities have opened advance booking counters to distribute tickets for devotees who will turn up at at Sree Parasurama Temple. Besides the Temple, the ticket counters are functioning at Sree Mahadeva Temple at Sreekanteswaram, Hanuman Temple at PMG and the book stalls of TDB at Nanthencode and Puthen Chantha.As far as the hygiene issue is concerned, special efforts were put in to cleanse the portion of the Karamana river where the devotees take the holy dip. The mud and other solid waste materials in the river have already been removed. Two high-power motor pumps are also operational there to maintain the flow of the river and to prevent accumulation of further waste. The complaint on scarcity of clean water has also been addressed by the TDB by setting up permanent shower pipes, under which the devotees can cleanse themselves after the holy dip. ShangumughamShangumugham beach has always been a major spot where thousands throng to offer ‘bali’. The spacious beach ensures that the devotees would not have to wait in queue for long to carry out the ritual. But all these years, the ceremonies conducted at the beach were administered by priests without the approval of the TDB. However, for the first time ever, the Board will employ licensed priests at the beach too for conducting the ceremony. TDB has also acquired a portion of the beach from the City Corporation for this purpose. The devotees can also offer ‘bali’ at the makeshift tents put up on the land owned by the Board adjacent to the Devi Temple at Shangumugham. The security at the beach will be reinforced by deploying more life guards in order to avert any accidents while the devotees take the holy dip in the sea.Special buses arranged The ‘vavu bali’ will start at 3 am on Saturday and will last till the evening. KSRTC will ply special buses to Thiruvallom and Varkala from the city on the day. Tight police security will be provided at Thiruvallom, Shangumugham and Varkala anticipating widespread crimes such as thefts and picking of pockets. The authorities have asked the devotees to take care of their belongings, as would they have to leave them on the shore during the ritual.Emergency medical service will also be made available at all centres where ‘bali’ is offered, in association with the District Medical Office and various NGOs. Papanasam BeachLocated outside the capital city, Varkala Papanasam beach records the most number of attendees during ‘vavu bali’, next only to Sree Parasurama Temple at Thiruvallom. Arrangements have been made in the area in connection with observance. The Additional District Magistrate has been assigned with the responsibility of making arrangements at the Papanasam beach. Here also, additional lifeguards will be deployed from Friday evening onwards for the safety of devotees.
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