Passion Parade: Festival of Milk Pots Sanctified offerings

Text and pix by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

Vow to fulfill

“Aadi Pooram”, a special day dedicated to the Goddess was celebrated recently. This year, there was added fervour to the festival, as it fell on a Friday. Colourfully dressed female devotees carried heavy pots of pure milk on their heads, and walked through the streets in Bambalapitty and Wellawatte.

Devotees thronged the Sammankodu Sri Kathirvelayutha Swamy (popularly known as Maanikka Pillaiyaar temple) temple in Bambalapitty early in the morning. They filled their brass and stainless steel pots with pure milk, covered the pots with yellow pieces of cloth , decorated the pots with fresh flower garlands, holy ash, sandalwood, vermilion and Margosa leaves, carried them into the temple, offered prayers, and still with the pots of milk on their heads, walked in procession to Mayurapathy Sri Paththirakaali Amman temple in Wellawatte.

Divine parade

Divinely decorated milk pot

Little girl's play time

Many women have made vows to continue the same ritual

A handful of young Hindu boys too participated in this year’s Festival of Milk Pots. The youngest male devotees carried two tiny pots of pure milk on their shoulders with bundles of fresh sugarcane hung on either side.