Oushadha Biksha Yatra to Tour Temples of Alappuzha on Sunday

ALAPPUZHA:
The Oushadha Biksha Yatra of the Nelliakkattu Sreedhareeyam Oushadheswari temple of Koothattukulam , set out to cover 114 temples across the state seeking divine blessings for a healthy society, will be touring major temples in Alappuzha district on Sunday.
The Yatra marks the revival of the practice of collecting from people the ingredients for making the restorative medicine consumed by Keralites in Karkitakam of Malayalam calendar. The specially decorated vehicle fashioned as a chariot, which had already visited several temples in the southern districts since it was flagged off on June 27, carries the lighted traditional lamp and the idol of Goddess Oushadheswari (the Goddess of wellness).
The Yatra’s tour of Alappuha district will start from Krishnapuram Sree Krishna Swamy temple.
During the course of the day, it will pass through Puthiyidom Sree Krishna Sway temple at Kayamkulam, Chetttikulangara Bhagavathy temple, Mattam Sree Mahadeva Temple, Harippad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple,Mannarassala Sree Nagaraja temple, Thottappaly Bhagavathy temple, Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Swamy temple, Irattakulangara Sree Mahadeva temple, Vandanam Sreedharma Sastha temple and Kidangamparamb Sree Bhuvaneswary temple.
Several distinguished personalities would be turning up to make offerings and pray as the campaign touches different temples in the district.
The Yatra has evoked tremendous response en route with devotees thronging 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 during the month of Karkitakam.
The Yatra has been planned in two stretches, with the first leg of it touring south Kerala, covering 28 temples. The second leg of the Yatra will start from Thiruvananthapuram and go up to Neeleswaram in Kasargode district.
It has been a centuries old tradition in Kerala to take specially prepared Ayurvedic 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 of the month of Karkitakam.
The Yatra will conclude on July 15.