KOCHI:
‘Oushadha Seva’ month will begin at Nelliakattu Sreedhareeyam Oushadheswari temple at Koothattukulam on July 17, during when a specially prepared Ayurvedic medicine will be served as ‘ prasadam’ to devotees as part of a unique tradition observed in the month of Karkitakam of the Malayalam calendar.
The medicine will be served to the devotees from 6 to 12 in the forenoon and 5 to 7 in the evening on all days, till the season concludes on August 16.
It has been a centuries old tradition in Kerala to take specially prepared medicines and follow a strict regimen of simple diet and oil bath during Karkitakam (broadly July-August ), which will re-energise the body and mind.
Ahead of this, ‘Oushadha Biksha Yatra’ , the road show flagged off from the temple on June 27 to tour 114 temples across Kerala , will return to the temple.
The yatra marked the revival of a unique tradition of seeking divine blessings for the universal wellbeing and collecting from people the basic ingredients for making the special restorative Ayurvedic prepration. The campaign, which received huge response all over the state, has also highlighted the concepts and approaches of Ayurveda and its contemporary relevance in creating a healthy world.
The Yatra, on its return to the temple on July 15, will be accorded a rousing reception, followed by dedication of the 14-foot high Oushadheswari idol by Vasudeva Brahmananda Theertha Swamiyar of Thrikaikattu Madom. Further rituals will be led by Thanthri Puliyannur Sasi Namboothiri and Nelliakkattu Narayanan Namboothiri, after which the production of ‘ Ayurvedic Medicine’ will start.
Adding a cultural dimension to the occasion, film actor Jayaram will be awarded this year’s first Oushadheswari Puraskaram in recognition of his outstanding contributions to art and culture.
Temple Authority Narayanan Namboothiri will hand over the award comprising Rs one lakh and citation at a function at the Sreedhareeyam Oushadheswari temple on July 17.
The yatra was taken out in a specially decorated vehicle modelled as a chariot, marked the revival of an age-old tradition of gathering ingredients for making the restorative Ayurvedic package consumed by people in Karkitakam. It received enthusiastic response in all the places it had its stop-over .
On the first day of Karkitakam month, special poojas and rituals, including the “Ashtadravya Ganapathi Homam’, offering 1008 coconuts, will be performed by priests led by Sooryakaladi Sooryan Parameswaran Nampoothiripad. This will be followed by the ‘Gaja Pooja’, lining up more than 20 elephants, and then the distribution of the medicinal preparation.
Actor Jayaram, who is also an accomplished percussion artist, will lead ‘Panchari melam’ which will feature more than 111 artists at the temple on July 16. The temple will also organise ‘Oushadha Pongala” on August 6, a ritual seeking divine blessings for the wellness of the society as a whole.
The Oushadheswari Temple is associated with Kerala’s leading Ayurvedic retreat run by the Nellikkattu Mana , a Namboothiri Brahmin family reputed for preserving and practising the best traditions of the centuries old Indian wellness system.
Hari N Namboothiri, Trustee, Sreedhareeyam Oushadheswari Temple, P K Vyasan, Convenor, Festival Committee also attended the press conference. For more details contact 9497718796.
