'Ramayana month' begins in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 16: The annual 'Ramayana Month' began in Kerala today with temples and Hindu houses across the state resonating with the chanting of the epic Ramayana.

'Karkkidakam', the last month in the Malayalam almanac, is observed as the auspicious Ramayana month in the state.

It has been a decade-old tradition that devotees, especially elders, recite "Adhyatma Ramayana" authored by medieval devotional poet Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, in the next one month to mark the period.

Special Ramayana recital and classes were held in major temples in the state as part of the beginning of the month. Spiritual classes and discourses on Ramayana by experts would be conducted in various temples, including at the famed Sree Krishna Temple in Guruvayur till the end of the 'karkkidakam' month.

The ritualistic 'Anayoottu', a feeding ceremony of elephants, at Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur also used to fall on the first day of 'karkkidakam'.

A number of elephants were fed with jaggery, ghee, rice, coconut, sugarcane, medicinal herbs and so on at the grand old temple today as part of the feast, temple sources said.

PTI