Festive memory

My grandfather use to tell lot of stories .And those stories were assumptions however, we liked to hear it. Among the anthology of few wonderful stories here I recollected a white chariot’s story .There are two temples near to my home the name of the temples are Ponnathu kavu Bagavathi temple and Ayamkandazuthu temple .Ponnathu Kave temple is a little far from my home so that we have never been there much .However, my neighbors used to tell the specialty of a festival which I use to visualize while they narrated and got involved in the vibrant festive ambience Poneathu Bagavathi festival celebrated in the month of January. A procession use to come along with a decorated elephant and ,little kids use to imitate the musical instruments played in this holy procession .The procession plays a particular kind of drums and trumpets .These trumpets and Drums known as Chenda and Kuzal. Rhythm of this band is peculiar like jillam pada pada ! jillam pada pada !,Jillam pada pada! Jillam pada pada!. Jillam Jillam jillam pada pada pe ….pree pepe eeeeeeeeee
Along with this Jillam Padapada! The soothe elephant walk is also beautiful The serenely walk of elephant always compare with the walk of a pretty woman .When we juxtapose the soothe walk of elephant and the musical back drop suggest the ambience of well composed choreography .Later when I was watching the movie Gaga Kamini directed by M.F.Hussain I could correlated the soothe elephant walk
The holy procession reaches each and every home and collect various offerings. This auspicious occasion known as Para Eduppu .In order to give a glorious salute to the omnipotent god and goddesses people decorate the residence with various auspicious and colorful things .It include the vibrant hibiscus flower, light green tender Banana leaf , Ripen yellow banana ,off-white coconut tree leafs, Tinder mango leaves ,a bunch of saffron colored tender coconut and different colorful illumination . While the procession reaches to home so the people use to offer various things to god like Rice , Flower, yellow banana ,coconut and many more .

This auspicious ritual having relevance with agriculture . Because the festive season in kerala begun in the month of November and malayalam name of this month is vrishcikam and endup in the month of april Malayalam name of this month is Meadam .This was the time of harvest use to taken place and people gather various crops for the next year.Among the varity of crops the farmars use to offer a share of harvest to the almighty god and Paraeduppu an metaphor of appreciation to the omnipotent god .The elephant which includes in the procession also get a percentage of offerings The offerings include the sweet brown sacker ,orange coconut and yellow banana to .The way Elephant chew the bench of banana is pretty good
In this auspicious occasion people also use to wear various colourfull dress .



In order to watch this magnificent occasion We were use to run after the procession . Apart from this holy procession firework was also a specialty of those festival and it was visible to us .we use to stood in the veranda of the house and watch the colourfull amazing fireworks. Let us see what is the relevance of this temple and the story telling session of my grandfather as I mentioned in the beginning of this essay there are two temple near to my home