MANDAIKADU: The 10-day ‘Koda’ festival at the famed Mandaikad Bhagavathy Amman temple in this coastal town began on Monday with the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony in presence of thousands of devotees, from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The temple Tantri Edakkode Sankaranarayanan initiated the festival rituals in the morning, amid the chants of ‘Amme Saranam, Devi Saranam’. The legendary ‘Koda’ will take place on March 14 and attended by lakhs of devotees from the various regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. ‘Valiyapadukka’, a major mid-night ritual of the festival, will be performed on March 10 and the procession of ‘Valiya Theevatti’ on March 13, before the festival concludes with the ‘Odukku Pooja’ at midnight on March 14.