Centuries-old copper vessels readied for Paryaya rituals at Udupi Sri Krishna Matha

Udupi: The Matha entrusted with performing Sri Krishna Devaru’s daily worship and rituals at the Sri Krishna Matha for the two-year Paryaya period begins preparations well in advance of the Paryaya. Among the most important aspects of these preparations is the naivedya (food offering to the deity), for which only traditional copper vessels are used. As per long-standing custom, the same vessels that have been used for generations are brought back into service during every Paryaya.

Careful preservation of vessels

All vessels used for preparing naivedya and other key rituals are preserved with great care. The naivedya vessels are stored securely in the Shirur Matha warehouse. With Paryaya preparations currently underway, the process of re-tinning (kalai) the vessels has been completed. Matha officials said that some of these vessels are over 350 years old.

The collection includes small vessels as well as large ones capable of cooking food for nearly 6,000 people. Among the most significant are the two-seru vessels used for naivedya, two-paavu and four-seru vessels used in daily worship, and the 16-seru vessels reserved for Maha Puja. During the Dhanurmasa period, the 16-seru vessels are extensively used for preparing huggi. In total, there are 18 vessels dedicated exclusively to naivedya.

Maximum reuse, minimal replacement

Every vessel is used for as long as possible. Copper vessels are replaced only when the base is completely worn out. Otherwise, they are repaired with patches and reused. This method of preservation has been followed for generations, said Sri Matha official Vamanamurthy Bhat.

Process of reuse

After the Paryaya period concludes, all vessels are carefully stored in their designated locations. They are brought back into use during the next Paryaya after undergoing re-tinning. Once tinning is done, cow dung water is poured into the vessels and left for 24 hours to remove acidic elements before they are used again.

Use of wooden ladles

For cooking, ladles made from dupada wood are used, along with ladles fashioned from bamboo and coconut shells. So far, more than 350 dupada wooden ladles and over 200 ladles made from bamboo and coconut shells have been prepared. These are made in phases as part of the traditional preparations, Vamanamurthy Bhat added.