This temple ritual is a sign of where Kerala is headed

Kollangode temple is on the banks of Gayatri River, a major tributary of Bharatappuzha, the second longest river in Kerala.
The ancient rituals that date back to many centuries were compromised for the first time in history.

This temple ritual signals where Kerala is heading

The annual festival of the famous Kollangode Temple in Palakkad was celebrated the other day. By default, one might tend to add ‘traditional fervour’ in the intro. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The ancient rituals that date back to many centuries were compromised. And for the first time in the temple's history, the main deity of the temple bathed in water collected in an Uruli (the traditional bell metal cookware) during the annual festival.

The temple is on the banks of Gayatri River, a major tributary of Bharatappuzha, the second longest river in Kerala. Araatu or sacred annual ritual of bathing the main idol of the temple, one of the major rituals as part of the festival, used to take place in the river.

But this time the Gayatri River went dry much before the onset of summer, portending severe drought in the district, which known as the granary of Kerala.

Sharing the photograph that showed the sorry state of the river, Njeralathu Hari Govindan, noted Sopana Sangeetham (Ashtapathi) artist, wrote on his Facebook wall: "This is another impact of our mindless destruction of forests and rivers. Kollangode, the land of art, culture and rituals are now facing the heat."

"Though millions were spent for protecting the river, it has gone dry in winter. All the five tributaries of Gayatri River have died," he said.

As the river lay parched, the wells and water sources on both banks have also gone dry. People are scampering for water. But what pained them most was the plight of their deity who had to take a bath in an Uruli, he scribbled.

With a weak monsoon that failed to replenish the rivers and acquirers, the ground water level in the state went alarmingly low, prompting the State Disaster Management Authority to recommend immediate steps to address an imminent drought. It was also predicted that the state might face the worst drought in 115 years. This time, Kerala recorded a deficiency of 33.4% South West monsoon rains.

The state, which heavily depends on hydropower, is also staring at an imminent energy crisis.

Last Updated Mar 31, 2018, 6:41 PM IST