THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Oushadha Biksha Yatra, organised by Nelliakkattu Sreedhareeyam Oushadheswari temple of Koothattukulam to cover 114 temples in the state, entered Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
The campaign had its stop-over at Mahadeva Temple at Kilimanoor in Thiruvananthapuram district, after touching a string of temples at Adoor, Kottarakkara, Chadayamangalam and Nilamel in the adjoining districts.
The fourth day’s campaign, starting from the famed Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in the state capital tomorrow, will visit Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple, Sreedhara Mangalam Sree Mahavishnu Temple, Major Sri Thonnal Devi Temple, Veeralam Sree Krishnaswami Temple and Varkala Janardhanaswamy Temple before moving on to the western parts of Kollam.
K Muraleedharan, Vattiyoorkavu MLA, will offer ‘Biksha’ ( alms) at Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple at 9 am tomorrow.
The Yatra, which commenced on Wednesday , has evoked tremendous response en route with devotees gathering in large numbers to offer ‘ alms’ in the form of Thriphala and ghee, which will be used as ingredients to make the medicine to be distributed to people later.
The Yatra has been planned in two stretches. The first one will tour south Kerala down to Valiyasala in Thiruvananthapuram, covering 28 temples. The second leg of the Yatra will start from Thiruvananthapuram and go up to Neeleswaram in Kasargode district.
The specially decorated vehicle, fashioned as a chariot, carries the lighted traditional lamp and the idol of Goddess Oushadheswari (the Goddess of wellness).
It has been a centuries old tradition in Kerala to prepare medicines and follow a strict regimen of simple diet and oil bath in the month of Karkitakam (broadly July-August ), which will re-energise the body and mind.
The devotees will be served the medicine after poojas and rituals at the Oushadheswari temple from the first day month of Karkitakam.
The Yatra will conclude on July 15.
