Coimbatore: 'Para Kathi Podum Vizha,' a blood-dripping ritual is part of one of the important festivals of the Telugu-speaking people in the city which is Vijayadashami.
Coimbatore: 'Para Kathi Podum Vizha,' a blood-dripping ritual is part of one of the important festivals of the Telugu-speaking people in the city which is Vijayadashami.
Hundreds of devotees from the Devanga Chettiar Community self-inflict stab wounds as a symbolic ritual to invoke and escort their principal deity, Sowdambikai.
The devotees walk and chant 'Vesko thalli, theesko thalli' in Telugu which means "Here is our offering, accept it and bless us."
This annual ritual of self-mutilation with sharp-edged swords and knives is rooted int he community's faith and traditions. Devotees believe in fasting during this time and perform this ritual as a form of worship. The devotees also noted that the medicine used for the wounds caused during the rituals is turmeric.
Traffic has been diverted on Mettupalayam Road, Bharathi Park Road, Sukrawarpet and Gandhi Park Road due to the festival. A large number of police officers were deployed for security during the procession.