Sat Jan 11 15:01:18 UTC 2025: ## Thousands Witness Vibrant Petta Thullal Ritual in Erumely
**Erumely, Kerala, January 11, 2025** – The annual Petta Thullal ritual, a significant part of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, concluded Saturday with a spectacular display of traditional dance and communal harmony. Thousands gathered in Erumely to witness the ceremonial mass dance performed by teams of Ayyappa devotees from Ambalappuzha and Alangad.
The Ambalappuzha group, led by Samooha Periyon N. Gopalakrishna Pillai, commenced their performance around noon, proceeding through the town accompanied by three elephants. They were warmly received at the Nainar mosque by the Erumely Mahallu Muslim Jama-at, showcasing the interfaith harmony of the event. The Alangad group, led by Samooha Periyon A.K. Vijayakumar, followed later in the afternoon.
With heightened pilgrim activity, an additional 300 police personnel were deployed to ensure security and manage traffic in Erumely. The celebrations began Friday evening with the Chandanakkudam festival at the Nainar mosque.
Looking ahead, the Thiruvabharanam (sacred jewellery) procession will depart from Pandalam on Sunday, arriving at Sharamkuthy by Tuesday at 5 p.m., before being received at the Sannidhanam by Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan and Travancore Devaswom Board president N. Prashanth.
First Piper 