Conference on Vedas at Padmanabha temple in January

The Sree Padmanabha Temple is set to host a national vedic conference as part of the ongoing ritual "Murajapam", a ritual of chanting of mantras, conducted once in six years.

Temple executive officer V Ratheesan said the conference would take place from January 2-5.

"Vedic experts from the state and outside will present seminars, and discussions will be held on the four vedas," he said.

The conference would also see participation of students and teachers from various vedic schools, Sanskrit and Veda Universities, Ratheesan told mediapersons here.

The temple authority has requested Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to inaugurate the conference.

The temple has been witnessing the centuries-old ritual "Murajapam", chanting of mantras, conducted once in every six years.

The 56-day-long ritual, which began on November 21, involves the ceremonial chanting of Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda by around 200 scholars from Kanchipuram, Pejawar, Sringeri, besides representatives of the Yogashema and Brahmana Sabhas.

The ritual would conclude on January 15 (Makar Sankranti) when one lakh oil lamps would be lit at the temple precincts.

With the beginning of the ritual, initiated by the 18th century Travancore king Marthanda Varma, a large number of devotees and vedic enthusiasts are thronging the temple to have a glimpse of the event and worship Lord Padmanabha, the principal deity, temple management sources said.

The shrine and the Padmatheertham Pond was illuminated for the festival and vedic pundits performed "Jalajapam" on Thursday night.

The sprawling temple, an architectural splendour in granite, was rebuilt in its present form in the 18th century by the Travancore Royals, who had ruled southern Kerala and some adjoining parts of Tamil Nadu, before integration of the princely state with the Indian Union in 1947.