The Aranmula Valla Sadya occupies a prominent position among food fiestas in the world, sheerly due to the number of people who participate and the taste of vegetarian delicacies. It is estimated that nearly 2 lakh people visit the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple in Pathanamthitta district annually to enjoy this grand feast. The Valla Sadya is linked to rituals and legends that are centuries old. It is primarily conducted as an offering and serves the rowers of palliyodams that accompany Thiruvonathoni. People who attend the feast get to enjoy the unique tastes of Central Travancore region.
Once the feast is offered to the almighty, the preparation for the feast begins. The devotee who makes the offering reaches the temple that morning and offers a ‘para’. One para is dedicated to god and the other to the palliyodams.
The palliyodams that reach the temple banks are offered a grand welcome. Accompanied by ‘Vanjipattu’, the rowers reach the spot where the ‘para’ offering has been made. They keep the decorated umbrellas that they carry and their oars there. The rowers are then served the grand feast in the dining area. The rowers sing the Vanjipattu and through the verses of the song, ask for every delicacy. All the dishes should be served without saying ‘no’. In total, 63 varieties of dishes are served as part of the feast. There is a style and defined form in which the dishes are served and eaten. The dishes are categorized in to three main varieties and served as per the tradition. The dishes include parippu, pulissery, kaalan, avial, thoran, erissery, koottukari, pachadi, kichadi, varieties of mezhukku purattees, thorans and pickles.
