Kerala's Padmanabhaswamy Temple to present 'Onavillu' to Ram Temple in Ayodhya

Thiruvananthapuram: The famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala will present 'Onavillu', a traditional ceremonial bow, to the Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya to mark the occasion of its consecration on January 22.

The bow is presented as a gift to the Lord Ram Temple. Temple Tantri and its administrative panel members would hand over the 'Onavillu' to the Shri Ram Teerth Kshetra Trust representatives at a function to be held at the eastern entrance of the shrine on January 18, the executive officer of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple said in a statement on Wednesday.

'Onavillu' is a ceremonial offering dedicated to Lord Sree Padmanabha as part of a three-century-old tradition. The members of a traditional family here make an artistic offering at the Lord Padmanabha Temple on the auspicious 'Thiru Onam' day every year. "The ceremonial bow is presented to the Ayodhya Temple on behalf of the devotees of Lord Padmanabha," a temple official told PTI.

It would be taken to Ayodhya on a flight from Kochi, he said. Arrangements will be made for devotees to catch a glimpse of the auspicious bow on the shrine premises tomorrow. They would also get to circumnutate the temple, carrying the ceremonial bow later, the official said. Considered sacred by devotees, the 'villu' is generally a bow-shaped wooden panel with paintings on both sides with themes like 'Ananthasayanam', the mythical serpent Aanantha, 'Dashavataram', incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Sreerama Pattabhishekam, anointing of Lord Rama as King and so on.