THRISSUR:
Oushadha Biksha Yatra launched by Sreedhareeyam Oushadhewswari temple of Koothattukullam will pass through various temples of Thrissur district on Thursday.
Devotees can offer ‘Biksha’ (alms) when the chariot, a specially designed vehicle with the idol of Oushadheswari (Goddess of Wellness) installed in it, reaches the district. By evening, it will enter the famed temple town of Guruvayur where its first stop over will be Sree Parthasarathy temple followed by Thiruvenkitachalapthy temple and Mammiyur temple.
Before entering Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, the yatra will touch Tripanangode Mahashiva temple, Alathiyur Hanuman Kavu temple, Sree Notta Nalungal Bhagavathi temple, Kuttipuram, Sree Manaliyarkavu Bhagavathi temple, Kaladithara.
On Friday, the Yatra will visit several other temples in Thrissur including Sree Rama temple, Thriprayar, Sree Koodalmanikyam temple, Irinjalakkuda, Sree Kurumba Bhagavathi temple, Kodungallur, Thiruvanchikkulam Mahadeva temple, Kodungallur, and by evening it will enter North Paravur by touching Sree Mukambika temple.
So far, the extensive campaign had covered 28 temples down to Thiruvananthapuram in its initial leg, followed by another 47 temples in its north-bound journey.
Its home-ward itinerary includes 39 more temples, taking the total number of shrines to be toured to 114. Oushadha Biksha Yatra, the first such massive road show ever undertaken, was flagged off on June 27 from Sreedhareeyam Oushadeswari temple at Koothattukulam to tour 114 temples in the state to collect medicines, herbs and other ingredients that will be used for preparing a special ‘Karkitaka” medicine package, which will be distributed to the people.
It has been an age old tradition in Kerala to take specially prepared medicines and follow a strict regimen of simple diet and oil bath in the month of Karkitakam (broadly July-August), to re-energise body and the mind. ‘Oushadha Seva’ starts once the Yatra returns to Koothatukulam Oushadheswari temple.
