Karkidaku Vavu Bali: Why it matters to people from Kerala

Did your colleagues from Kerala skip the office today? Most likely, they would have taken the day off to perform Vavu Bali — a ritual to honour ancestors.

Across Kerala, Hindus in the southern Indian state would have gathered at temple ghats, river banks and beaches to perform a ritual known as Bali Tharpanam. Why today? July 24 this year is the new moon day (Amavasya) in the month of Karkidakam in the Malayalam calendar. That’s why it’s called Karkidaku Vavu Bali.

Popular spots, such as the banks of rivers like the Pamba, and beaches like Papanasam in Varkala, attract throngs of people arriving for the ritual. So is the Sree Parasurama Swamy Temple in Thiruvallam, Thiruvananthapuram — the capital of Kerala.

The life of Malayalis (people of Kerala) is heavily rooted in culture and tradition. They carry their religious practices to far-off lands — the places they work and live. So you would have found them performing Vavu Bali today in Bengaluru, Mumbai and even Florida. In the UAE, it’s a very private ceremony, mostly conducted at homes or community gatherings.

Bali Tharpanam is typically performed by one person in the family, who has prepared for it the previous day by fasting (only one vegetarian meal is allowed). Early in the morning, they head to the site to perform the Bali.

Clad in traditional clothes — men usually wear a mundu (dhoti) or thorthu (a white thin white towel) — they get ready for the Bali by taking a dip in the temple pond, river or the sea. It’s mandatory to wear a ring made of grass (darbha pullu) — called pavithram, pavitra or pavitri — while performing rituals for the deceased.

The ritual is supervised by a priest (pandit) or an older person who is well-versed in the rites and chants. Basically, you repeat the Sanskrit chants recited by the priest and follow his instructions by making large cooked rice balls, topping them with black sesame seeds, thulsi (basil) leaves, and flowers.

This is Bali Tharpanam, the ritual believed to help departed souls attain mokha (salvation). It’s also a time for reflection for the family members as they seek the blessings of the deceased.

Yes, Karkidaka Vavu Bali is very similar to Pitru Paksha Shradh, which is performed in many states of India. But the Vavu Bali of Kerala is different. It’s performed for all ancestors once a year on the new moon day of the Karkidakam month. Sraddham is performed on the death anniversary (usually denoted by the star sign) of an immediate family member. That can be any time of the year.

Confused? Simply put, Vavu Bali is for all ancestors, and Sraddham is for the deceased immediate family member. Vavu Bali falls on one particular day for all Keralite Hindus, while Sraddham is totally dependent on the day of death.

My earliest memory of Vavu Bali is of my father leaving early in the morning to perform the ritual, and my mother whipping up a vegetarian lunch. Now that they have passed, I carry out the rites for their souls.

A full circle!