The Palliyoda Seva Sanghom (PSS), apex body of various palliyoda karayogams that own snakeboats (palliyodam), has doubled the grant for the palliyodams from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh this year.
PSS president K.G.Sasidharan Pillai distributed the grant to all the 51 palliyoda karayogams at a joint session held at the Panchajanyam auditorium at Aranmula on Sunday.
Dr. Pillai said the PSS could double the grant amount due to the successful conduct of the Vallasadya (ritualistic feast) through a single window system this year.
He said the PSS had conducted a record number of 497 ritualistic feasts during the 80-day season of Vallasadya this year.
Dr Pillai said co-operation and support of the palliyoda karayogams as well as the general public was a must for the successful conduct of the annual snakeboat regatta (Valamkali) and Vallasadya.
Dr Pillai also handed over a purse worth Rs. 1 lakh for the renovation of the Vilakkumadom Kottaram at Edayaranmula to temple committee president Somashekharan Nair on the occasion.
P.R.Radhakrishnan, PSS secretary; K.P.Soman, vice-president; Krishnakumar Krishnaveni, treasurer, and Rahul Raj, joint secretary, also spoke.
