Sabarimala Annual Festival

The Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala opened at 5.30 p.m. Yesterday for the 10-day annual festival that begins Today. Temple Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, assisted by Melshanti (chief priest) N. Vishnu Namboodiri, performed the preparatory rituals. The festival flag will be hoisted between 9.30 a.m. and 10.50 a.m. by the Tantri. The ‘utsavabali’ and ‘sreebhoothabali’ will be performed in the afternoon from March 31 to April 7. The ‘vilakkinezhunnallathu’ procession will be held on all evenings from April 2 to 7. The ‘pallivetta’ ritual, on the eve of the ‘arat,’ will be held at Saramkuthi on April 7 midnight. The ‘arat’ ceremony will be held on April 8.

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Cherian Koshy, Head of the Department of Palliative Care at the Regional Cancer Centre, won the award for the best presentation at the eighth International Network for Cancer Research and Treatment conference held at Antalya, Turkey, from March 22 to 24. The presentation, titled “Making a difference and leading by example,” detailed the palliative care services at the RCC.

A high alert has been sounded across Kerala on Monday following reports of a group of suspected LTTE militants sneaking into the southern state with Police, Navy and Coastguard launching a joint intense search between Alappuzha and Kochi towns.

The alert had been sounded since intelligence agencies also corroborated the possibility of a militant group landing in Thyckal Beach near Cherthala, about 30 km South of Kochi, as claimed local fishermen, official sources said.

‘Sri Guruvayurappan,’ directed by Vayalar Madhavan Kutty (Soorya TV) has won the award for best teleserial in 2008, instituted by Kerala Film Critics Association. The awards were announced by Atlas group chairman M M Ramachandran, Jury chairman George Onakkur and other jury members. ‘Chilluvilakku’ (Santhivila Dinesh) and ‘Vishudha Alphonsamma’ (Sibi Yogiyaveedan) shared the second best serial award. ‘Swami Ayyappan’ by Suresh Unnithan was adjudged as the most popular serial. Kollam Thulasi (Kadamattathu Kathanar) and Chippy (Sree Guruvayurappan) were chosen the best actors in male and female roles. ‘The way’ directed by Bijulal is the best telefilm. ‘Daivathinte melvilasam’ by Biju K Antony was adjudged the second best tele-film.

The Thanal suicide prevention centre in Kozhikode has made special arrangements for free over-the-phone counselling for students appearing for SSLC examinations against exam-related anxieties and tensions. It can be reached over the phone between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on 0495 – 2725555. And thereafter on 9446457021, 9446732775.