Chenappady: The untimely loss of two young lives has cast a pall of grief over the annual festival at a temple here, with organisers choosing to cancel all cultural programmes to share the family’s sorrow and dedicate the occasion solely to rituals.

It is the organising committee of the Chenappady Kizhakkekara Bhagavathi Temple that has taken the decision to forgo all cultural programmes during its upcoming annual festival, sharing in the grief of Sreenath (Appu, 22) and his sister Sreelakshmi (27) of Nagamattathil House. The siblings were killed last Saturday night when their motorcycle collided with a car on the Kadappattoor bypass.

The annual Meenappooram festival at the temple, organised by the NSS Karayogam No; 5465, is scheduled from March 28 to 31. A host of cultural events, including Thiruvathira, dance performances, Theyyam, a classical music concert and a ganamela, had already been booked in connection with the festival, and the printing of notices also began when the tragedy struck.

In the wake of the siblings’ untimely deaths, and considering their active involvement in temple affairs, the committee decided to cancel all cultural programmes and limit the festival to temple rituals alone, NSS Karayogam president Jayan R Nair and secretary R Rajesh said.

The siblings had long shared a close bond with the temple. During the Saptaha Yajnam ritual, it was Sreelakshmi who used to dress up as Rukmini in the Rukmini Swayamvaram procession. The family also made it a practice to sponsor a temple ritual during every festival, while Sreenath too remained an active presence in temple activities.

Their father, N C Santhosh, passed away two years ago after an illness. Their mother, Sreeja, raised the two children by working in a private firm.