The Hindu : Kerala News : Celebrating religious harmony

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Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007
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Kerala

Celebrating religious harmony

Staff Reporter

Chandnakkudam fete has been celebrated for 206 years
Procession from Pazhayapalli to Bhagavathy Temple

CHANGANASSERY: A unique ritual emphasising the secular ethos of Kerala society will be enacted on Tuesday with the celebration of the 206-year-old Chandnakkudam festival by the Puthurpalli Muslim Mama-at.

According to local history, the ritual is the manifestation of the religious harmony that existed among the Muslim, Hindu and Christian communities.

The local ruling family had allowed the construction of a church and a masjid close to the Kavil Bhagavathy Temple in the town and ever since the festival has been held without break, says T.P. Abdul Hameed secretary of the jama-at.

The festival will get under way with special prayers at the tombs of the Sufi saint Sayyid Hassankhadirayya and Sayyid Haja Abdul Rehman in the morning.

The procession, led by the leaders of the Muslim-jamat, will be taken out from the Pazhayapalli to the Kavil Bhagavathy Temple.

The procession will be given an official reception at the Taluk Office in the evening, reminding one of the royal patronage accorded to the Chandanakkudom festival in olden days. “Even today, the festival is getting token assistance,” Jamaat leaders.

The first day’s celebrations will come to a close with the reception offered to them by the Nair Service Society (NSS) leaders at Perunna.

The second day’s procession will commence from Iruppa. The Metropolitan church and various government offices will accord reception to the procession, which will conclude on the Puthurpalli premises.

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