Karkidaka Vavu Bali is a grand ritual held at Shanmugham Beach in Kerala. In 2020, Karkidaka Vavu date is July 20, Monday.
Shanmugham Beach has always been a major spot where thousands throng to offer ‘bali’. The spacious beach ensures that the devotees would not have to wait in queue for long to carry out the ritual.
Till 2012, the ceremonies conducted at the beach were administered by priests without the approval of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) but from 2012 the board is employing licensed priests at the beach too for conducting the Karkidaka vavubali.
TDB has also acquired a portion of the beach from the City Corporation for this purpose. The devotees can also offer ‘bali’ at the makeshift tents put up on the land owned by the Board adjacent to the Devi Temple at Shangumugham Beach.
Other Locations for Karkidaka Vavubali
The numbers of those making offerings are likely to swell at the Varkala Papanasam, Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple, Aruvikkara, Aruvippuram, Neyyattinkara, Kadinamkulam, Kelamangalam in Keraladityapuram and Thrivikramangalam in view of the restrictions at Shangumugham.
With over 50,000 people expected at Papanasam, close to 650 police personnel would be deployed there on shift basis. While parking grounds had been identified nearby, those offering the ritual would have to walk around 1 km to reach the beach.
Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple is also expected to receive roughly 50,000 people, double of that recorded in the previous year.
Adequate security measures will also be in place in the smaller bathing ghats in the region, including Vizhinjam, Aazhimala, Kovalam and Nemom.