Illam Nira ritual performed in Guruvayur

GURUVAYUR: Seeking divine blessings for a season of plenty ahead, the Illam Nira ritual was performed at the Guruvayur Sri Krishna temple today; offering bunches of the first crop of paddy to the presiding deity.

Freshly cut bunches of paddy were brought to the temple by members of the Manayath and Azhikkal famlies, who have traditionally been assigned with this duty in the ritual.

The paddy bunches were received at the temple portal by sub-priests and taken around the outer layer of the complex and then to the Niramandapam, a platform in front of the sanctum sanctorum.

The chief priest, Thamattur Damodaran Namboodiri later conducted the Lakshmi pooja and distributed the stalks of paddy as prasadam to the devotees to take home.

There was heavy rush in the temple on the occasion.