MALAPPURAM:
Devotees from far and near queued up outside Sree Ayyappa Temple, Pulinkaavu with pots of ghee and herbs to offer ‘Biksha’ (alms) as the trendsetting Oushadha Biksha Yatra, a unique road show to collect herbs for Ayurvedic formulations, reached Malappuram on Friday on a two-day sojourn.
The Yatra, organised by Nelliakkattu Sreedhareeyam Oushadheswari temple of Koothattukulam, entered Malappuram at 5 pm after receiving alms from Padinjaremadom Sree Guruvayoorappan Temple, Pattambi.
Prior to it, it received alms from Thiruwillvamala Sree Villvadrinadha Temple, Sree Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy Temple, Sree Parakkuttikaavu Temple, Thali Sree Mahaganapathi Temple, Thali Mahadeva Temple, and Manjalungal Padinjaremadom Sree Guruvayoorappan Temple.
Oushadha Biksha Yatra is a first of its kind, extensive road show that was launched to tour 114 temples in the state and collect from them medicines and herbs for preparing the special monsoon season Ayurvedic formulations. It will be then served to the people during the dreadful month of Karkitakam of Malayalam calendar during which people seek their mental and physical rejuvenation through traditional Ayurvedic preparations.
A salient feature of the Yatra, which commenced on June 7, is a specially designed vehicle carrying the idol of Oushadeshwari (Goddess of Wellness). It has so far covered the temples in the South and Central Kerala.
On Saturday, the Yatra will tour through Sree Thripuranthaka Temple, Sree Kunnath Temple, Manjeri Sree Arukizhaya Mahadeva Temple, Sree Ayyappa Swami Temple and Idimuzhakkal Sree Mahaganapathi Temple.
After visiting Pariharapuram Sree Subrahmanya Swami Temple and Azhinjillam Thali Mahavishnu Temple, it will enter Kozhikode on Saturday evening.
‘Oushadha Seva’starts once the Yatra returns to Koothatukulam Oushadheswari Temple.
