A hysteric mob of devotees led by oracles in red clothes thronged the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple at Kodungalloor for the ‘Kavutheendal’ ritual in connection with the annual Bharani festival on Sunday.
The temple premises turned into a sea of red as men and women, in red robes, from across the State thronged the temple. Brandishing traditional swords adorned with tiny bells, the flurry of oracles in a trance stormed the temple creating a delirious ambiance. They smote their heads with their swords, proclaiming their devotion to the Goddess. Blood could be seen dripping from their foreheads smeared with sandalwood and turmeric paste.
While the oracles ran around the temple in the depths of trance, devotees struck the temple rafters with sticks and threw offerings over the roof.
