Nenmara Vallangi Vela Festival

Nenmara Vallangi Vela Festival

Venue: Nellikkulangara Bhagavathy Temple, Nenmara, Palakkad district. The Nenmara Vallangi Vela is a joint invocation of the Nellikkulangara Bhagavathy, the people of Nenmara and Vallangi villages. Kodiyettam (flag hoisting ceremony to mark the beginning of the festival) is conducted on 23 March. Various folk arts like kummatti, karivela, andivela and so on mark the following days. On the concluding day ( Vela) 30 caparisoned tuskers are arrayed in ceremonial splendour under a heavily decorated canopy. The Nenmara Vallangi Vela spectacle is considered second only to the Thrissur Pooram. Nenmara Vallangi Vela festival 2010 date is on April 4 – Nenmara is well-known for its Vela festival, known as Nemmara Valangi Vela in Palakkad District of Kerala state. Southern India is known far and wide for its ‘Vela’ festival known as NemmaraVela. Equalling the famous ‘Trissur Pooram’, NenmaraVallangiVela is celebrated in the villages of the Palakad district in summer after the rice is harvested. Rice is a common grain crop in the area.But there are other possible reasons for celebrating NemmaraVallangiVela at this time, among them the birthday of the temple deity or the killing of a demon by the goddess. NemmaraVela2010 – The NenmaraVela a falls on the 20th day of ‘Meenam’, the month in the Malayalam calendar, which falls on the second or third of April. The two competing groups, Nemmara and Vallangy, have their own temples plus a common temple, Nellikkulangara, wherey congregate for this festival. Starting ten days prior to the actual holiday of Valangy Vela, the festivities begin with the hoisting of flags in the separate temples. Natives are not supposed to leave the village once the flag hoisting is done. Throughout the ten days, there will be some ritual at night. Nemmara starts its Vela from the Mannattu Muthi temple and Vallangi from the Siva temple. Each group has between 11 and 15 elephants, which are adorned and paraded through the main thoroughfare accompanied by drums and other percussion instruments. Selecting the elephants is a prestigious issue for the organisers. They compete to get the best elephants of Kerala, paying exorbitant sums. In the evening, these groups reach the Nellikulangara temple. There is a vast area of empty fields, providing enough space to accommodate a large crowd. Many people come, as the Vela is a good occasion for family reunions. Getting there: Nearest railway station: Palakkad, about 40 km. Nearest airports: Coimbatore in the neighbouring state of Tamilnadu, about 55 km; Cochin International Airport, about 120 km

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