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Kerala Oracles celebrate Bharani festival
by Juan Samuel

     Thrissur (Kerala): Oracles from across Kerala gathered here to celebrate the Bharani festival, which is held during the month of Meenam (March-April). At this annual meeting, devotees sing vulgar songs in the Kodungalloor Bhagvathy temple, as they believe it pleases the goddess. The festival began on March 26 and concluded on March 29. "I have been visiting the goddess for more than nine years. I have come here from Palat Kadav, which is very far from here. The blessings of the goddess are always with me, that's why I have been able to attend the festival and become an oracle," said Madhavan, an oracle. A prominent ritual associated with this festival is the Chandanapoti Charthal or the smearing of the image with sandal paste. "The Bharani festival attracts thousands of devotees because they have a strong belief in the goddess," said Unnikrishnan Nambiar, the chief priest of Kodungalloor Bhagvathy Temple. The Goddess Bhagvathy is the presiding deity of this ancient temple. A pilgrimage undertaken to this shrine on this occasion protects one from diseases like cholera and chicken pox.
-Mar 30, 2009