Navaratri festivities begin as ceremonial idols arrive in Ker

: The centuries-old annual 'Navaratri' festivities in the Kerala capital have got off to a start with the arrival and installation of ceremonial idols here from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Heralding the nine-day celebrations, the three traditional idols in connection with the festivities were brought to the state capital in a grand procession and installed in three locations for traditional poojas on Sunday.

Hundreds of devotees thronged both sides of the streets when the idols of Goddess Saraswathy from Padmanabhapuram palace in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy from Velimala and Moonnutti Nanga from Suchindram were accorded a traditional welcome here.

It has been a centuries-old custom to bring the idols including those of Goddess Saraswathy in a procession from Padmanabhapuram, which was the seat of power of the Travancore royal house before the capital of the principality was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram.

While the Saraswathy idol was installed at the 'Chokkitta mandapam' (Saraswathy mandapam) at the Karuvelappura mansion in the eastern side of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, the others were installed at the Aryasala and Chenthitta shrines for ceremonial poojas.

Sacred 'granthas' (books) and weapons including the legendary sword of the Travancore king would be placed at the mandapam as part of the Navaratri rituals.

The idols would be taken back to Padmanabhapuram after the nine-day Navaratri festival, temple sources said.

Along with the pooja celebrations, the nine-day Navaratri music festival also began in the capital city.

The festival would conclude on October 8, when Vijayadasami is celebrated, when thousands of children would be initiated into the world of letters through the "vidyarambham" ritual.