Tirunavaya: The spiritual festival held on the banks of Bharathapuzha for 19 days and nights will conclude on Tuesday. The Maha Magha Mahotsavam, which began on January 16 with Pithru Bali, will come to an end with rituals including the Amrita Snan.

Tuesday coincides with the Makam star day in the Malayalam month of Magham. The principal ritual of the day, the Magha Makam Amrita Snan, will take place at 8 am at the Aarathi Ghat. Naga sanyasis and thousands of devotees will participate in the holy dip. Following the Amrita Snan, Yati Puja—the worship of spiritual preceptors—will be held. This will be followed by the ritual known as Bhandara, during which food, clothing and offerings are given to sanyasis.

The most striking sight of the Bhandara is the Pangat, where everyone—royalty and commoners alike—sits together in a single row on the ground and eats as one. Organisers said this practice, which erases all social distinctions, reflects the egalitarian spirit and humanistic values of Sanatana Dharma. The fair, which gained wide attention as the “Kerala Kumbh Mela,” will formally conclude in the evening with the Nila Aarathi.

On Monday, special pujas were performed near the yajna vedi for Brahma, Mahalakshmi, Navamukundan, Thali Sivan and Triprangottappan, under the priesthood of former Sabarimala Melsanthi Areekkara Sudheer Namboothiri. Later at night, a Sarpa Bali was conducted on the pond steps under the priesthood of Neelakandan Namboothirippad.

The Kerala Kumbh Mela progressed far more grandly than expected, Maha Mandaleshwar Swami Anandavan Bharati, who is leading the event, noted that the banks of the Bharathapuzha at Tirunavaya have become a witness to spiritual awakening and moral consciousness. He added that the Maha Magham will be celebrated with even greater splendour next year, and that in 2028 it will be organised as a Maha Kumbh Mela, on the lines of the one held at Prayagraj.