Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Hundreds throng Chandanappally for Chembeduppu

Staff Reporter

Ceremony marking the culmination of the fest was observed with religious fervour

RELIGIOUS FERVOUR: The Chembeduppu ceremony held as part of the annual church festival at the Malankara Catholic Church in Chandanappally, near Pathanamthitta, on Sunday.

PATHANAMTHITTA: The auspicious Chembeduppu ceremony, marking the culmination of the annual festival at the Chandanappally Malankara Catholic Church in Chandanapally near here was held with religious fervour on Sunday.

Hundreds of faithfuls attended the Chembeduppu ceremony and the holy mass held on the Church premises.

People offered rice for the Chembeduppu ceremony in two large copper vessels (Chembu) kept at the Church. The copper vessels carrying the half-boiled rice were taken out in a procession by the faithfuls with traditional Church orchestra playing the accompaniment. The golden and the silver cross as well as the Papal and Catholicate flags were also taken out with the procession.

Catholicos and Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselius; Issac Mar Cleemis and Auxiliary Bishop of Thiruvananthapuram Joshua Mar Ignatheos were among those who put rice as offering. The procession, popularly known as the Chempeduppu Raasa, was attended by faithfuls from far off places. Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselius and bishops Issac Mar Cleemis, Youhanon Mar Chrisostum and Joshua Mar Ignatheos jointly led the Holy Mass. Mar Baselius laid the foundation stone for the holy mast. The festival came to a close with the Holy Raasa, later. Fr. Geevarghese Kuttiyil, Fr. Daniel Vadakkekkara, Fr. Samuel Edamannil and the lay committee leaders, Manoj Abraham, Thomas Pramod, Geevarghese Kulathinal, A.G. Abraham, Raju Kaithavana, K.G. Varghese and Wilson Chandanappally were among those who led the Holy Raasa.

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