Thiruvananthapuram: The 10-day annual Koda festival of the famous Mandaikadu Bhagavathy Temple in Kanyakumari district began yesterday morning with the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony (Kodiyettu) in the presence of devotees from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The flag-hoisting ceremony took place between 7:30 am and 8:30 am. The 10-day festival is observed on the last Tuesday of the ‘Kumbham’ month of the Malayalam calendar. Valiya Padukka, Odukku Pooja, 8th Koda festival, and Bharani Koda are the special Pooja ceremonies in the Mandaikadu Bhagavathy Temple.
On March 11th, at 9:30 pm, the procession of the ‘Valiya Theevatti’ ceremony will be held, followed by the Odukku Pooja beginning at midnight. The main function of the Valiya Padukka pooja ceremony will be held on March 12th at midnight. Then, the Maru Koda festival ceremony will be held on March 19th (Tuesday).
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have arranged special inter-state bus services operating from Thiruvananthapuram. The Tamil Nadu police have deployed around 1000 special personnel and a contingent of Marine Police for security and crowd management. On account of the Mandaikadu Bhagavathy Temple function, on March 12th, 2024, the Kanyakumari district administration has declared a local holiday for Kanyakumari.
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