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KARKKIDAKA VAVUBALI-2015

   Vavu Bali, or Karkidaka Vavu Bali, is a ritual, or rites, dedicated to dead ancestors performed by Hindus in Kerala in the Malayalam month of Karkidakam. Karkidaka Vavu Bali 2015 date is August 14. Dead parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, relatives and ancestors are remembered on the no moon day (Karutavavu) in Karkidaka Masam and ‘Shraddham’ for them is performed on the seashore and on riverbanks. The ritual performed for the souls of dead is referred as ‘Bali’ in Kerala and Vavu is Amavasi or no moon day.

In Kerala, ‘Bali’ is performed on no moon day, known as Karuta Vavu in Malayalam. Bali is also performed on the star or Nakshatra the person died or the date. But ‘Bali’ performed on Amavasi day in Karkidakam month is considered highly auspicious and it is believed that souls of the dead are pacified easily.

The Bali in Karkidakam month is important because the Dakshinayana period begins in this month. It is considered to be the night of the Devas. The popular belief is that ancestors will achieve moksha during the period due to the Bali performed by relatives on the earth.On the same day, Aadi Amavasi is observed in neighboring Tamil Nadu and people perform rites dedicated to the dead. Thousands of devout Hindus also take a holy dip in important Teerthams and sacred rivers on the day.

Thousands of persons paid obeisance to their ancestors by performing the annual ‘balitharpanam’ ritual on the Thirumullavaram beach here on the auspicious Karkkidaka Vavu day on Friday.Hundreds of people began to reach the Thirumullavaram beach and by early morning on Friday the road to the beach was full of devotees. The ritual is performed in honour of departed ancestors and people believe that it enables their forefathers attain eternal peace. It is also called “pithrutharpanam” and is performed in a waterbody.

The police and district administration had put in place traffic control measures along the 1.5-km road leading to the beach. Vehicles were not allowed on the road during the peak hour of arrival of devotees.

It is estimated that about one lakh people arrived at the beach by 12 noon for the ritual. Apart from those in Kollam city, people from neighbouring Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta districts too reached Thirumullavaram to perform ‘balitharpanam.’ After the holy dip in the sea, many of them also took bath in the freshwater pond of the temple before leaving.The ritual was also performed on the Mundakkal beach. Vavu bali rituals were also held at the Ashtamudi Veerabhadra Swamy temple on the banks of the Ashtamudi lake, the Devi temple on the banks of the Thanni lake and the Palaruvi waterfalls in Aryankavu. The Forest Department had made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the ritual at the waterfalls. In Pathanamthitta

Staff Reporter writes from Pathanamthitta: Hundreds offered bali, rites to propitiate the ancestral spirits, on the new moon day in the Malayalam month of Karkidakom, at various temple ghats and other ‘theertha ghats’ in the district.Hundreds of people, including women and children, performed pithru tharpanam at specially arranged balippuras on the banks of the Pampa, Manimala, and Achenkovil rivers in the morning hours.Hundreds of people performed bali at the Thrippara Mahadevar temple ghats in the Achenkovil river near Pathanamthitta; Sree Parthasarathy temple ghats in Pampa river at Aranmula; and at Ckecherival kadavu where the rivers Pampa and Manimala meet.

Mahadeva Hindu Seva Samiti at Pandalam also made arrangements for the bali-tharpanam at the Mahadevar temple ghats on the banks of river Achenkovil. Separate arrangements were made for men and women to offer bali.

The NSS Karayogam made arrangements for offering bali at the specially prepared pandal at Kuttoor Thondara kadavu on the banks of Manimala.Kakkattu Koickal Dharma Sastha Temple at Ranni-Perinad; Kodunthara Subramanyaswamy Temple ghats near Pathanamthitta; Sree Bhagavthy Temple ghats at Kallooppara; Komalam Devi Temple ghats in river Manimala near Vennikkulam; Kadalaimangalam Devi Temple ghats at Venpala near Thiruvalla; Trippara Temple ghats near Pathanamthitta; Kattoor Mahavishnu Temple ghats near Cherukol; Konni Muringamangalam Mahadevar Temple; Thonnallor Pattupurakakvu Bhagavathy temple near Pandalam; Ranni Edamuri temple complex, Kallooppara; Nangothil Sarpakkavu; and Vallamkulam Ganapati kadavu, were various other places where people offered bali.Hundreds of people offered bali at the Triveni-Sangamom at Pampa on the foothills of Sabarimala .

Prof. John Kurakar