Hundreds of devotees on Sunday thronged the famous Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala to witness Maha Kumbhabhishekam held at the shrine after 270 years.
This grand consecration took place following the recent completion of long-overdue renovation work at this ancient temple.
Dedication of "thazhikakudams", (the three domes above the sanctum sanctorum), the reinstallation of the Vishwaksena idol, and the 'Ashtabandha Kalasam' at the Thiruvambady Sree Krishna Temple (located within the main shrine complex) were held in the morning, temple sources said.
"The rituals were performed by priests during the auspicious time between 7.40 am to 8.40 am on Sunday," they said.
The rituals began after Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the present head of the Travancore royal family, offered prayers at the shrine.
In the presence of Varma and other royal family members, the tantri (head priest) first carried out the "Ashtabandha Kalasam" at the Thiruvambady Temple.
Later, the reinstallation of the Vishwaksena idol was held by 8.00 am, temple sources said.
The Vishwaksena idol, renovated and reinstalled now, is about 300 years old and was built in "katu sarkara yogam", a traditional method involving a unique combination of materials to create idols.
After that reinstallation, the tantries and priests, accompanied by the royal family head, moved as a procession for the dedication of the domes as devotees chanted "narayana" mantras.
Temple authorities made elaborate arrangements including the setting up of video walls on all the four entrances of the shrine for devotees to catch a glimpse of the rare ritual.
Long queues of devotees could be seen since early morning at the temple entrances.
Kerala Governor Vishwanath Rajendra Arlekar was present at the shrine to witness the rare ritual throughout, they added.
Various rituals, including Acharya Varanam, Prasada Shuddhi, Dhara, Kalasam, and others, were held at the shrine in various days in the last week ahead of the "Maha Kumbhabhishekam".
Temple authorities said that the objective of the Maha Kumbhabhishekam is to reinforce spiritual energy and reawaken the sanctity of the shrine.
Such a comprehensive renovation and the accompanying rituals were held at the centuries-old shrine after a gap of over 270 years, and it is unlikely to occur again in the next several decades, they said.
The renovation had been carried out as per the directive of the Supreme Court-appointed expert panel in 2017. Though the work began soon after, it could not progress much further due to the COVID situation, they said.
Later, various renovation works were completed in a phased manner from 2021 onwards, they added.
The name of Kerala capital is closely tied to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, where Lord Vishnu is enshrined in a reclining posture on serpent God 'Anantha'.
The city grew around this temple and took its name from the deity worshipped there.
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