Wayanad: Thousands of devotees gathered on the banks of the sacred River Papanashini on Tuesday to perform the Thulam Vavubali rituals at the Thirunelly Mahavishnu Temple and offer prayers for their departed ancestors.

The rituals, believed to grant souls moksha (release from the cycle of rebirth), began at 5 am under strict arrangements made by the temple authorities. Known as the ‘Kashi of the South,’ Thirunelly attracts large crowds yearly for Vavubali rituals held during the Malayalam months of Karkidakam and Thulam.

Chief priest E N Krishnan Namboothiri led the special temple rituals, assisted by priests P Ullas Namboothiri and A Ramachandran Namboothiri. Priests K L Shankara Narayana Sarma, T P Ganesh Bhattathiri, Ramachandra Sarma and K L Radhakrishna Sarma conducted the main Vavubali rites.

Temple Executive Officer K V Narayanan Namboothiri and Manager P K Premachandran oversaw the arrangements, ensuring facilities for transport, accommodation and healthcare for devotees attending the day-long ceremony.