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| 21 Dec, 2006 | The Erumeli Blog | ||
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Vavar is believed to be a close friend of Sri Ayyappa. The vavar swamy mosque is situated right opposite the entrance of the Kochambalam (little temple) where there is an idol of Sri Ayyappa. The pilgrims, after paying obeisance at the Kochambalam, come out dancing, dance into the Vavar swamy mosque, shouting out their traditional chants and with the accompaniment of a musical band with drums and nadaswaram. Then they come out and dance their way through the streets of Erumeli to the Big temple (Valiyambalam).
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Erumeli (or Erumely, as it was spelt earlier) is a small town in Kottayam
district. Famous for the lakhs of devotees who visit Erumeli during their
pilgrimage to Sabarimalai, Erumeli is often noticed as a place of
communal amity between its Hindus, Muslims and Christians.
I hail from Erumeli, did part of my schooling there and my parents are settled in Erumeli as of my writing this.
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Why the colours on the faces of the devotees? The dance is called Petta Thullal. The legend goes that the adivasis of Erumeli helped Lord Ayyappa in his battle with Mahishi (eruma in Malayalam). So the pilgrims who come to Erumeli are expected to wear black, smear paint and powder, brandish wooden swords and knives (and balloons!) and dance in a manner that resembles the adivasi's joyous dance. Nowadays, of course, things have changed and you see the same fervour, but people seem to be carrying 'gada's too!
The Erumeli photo gallery |
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