HOLY CELEBRATIONS

Denaha

Easter

The Festival of St. George

St. Mary's Thirunal

Kallitta Thirunal

D e n a h a

‘Denaha’ (Annual celebration of the holy Baptism of Christ) on January 6^th is the main celebration in the church. Piravom is in a festive mood for one week from the 1^st of January every year. The best attraction of the festival is the procession. Three Priests adorned in royal ecclesiastical robes and wielding golden crosses move under the MEKKATTY along with the procession blessing the devotees. "Kuda, (decorated umbrellas), pon-velli-kurishukal," (Gold and Silver Crosses) and embellishments accompany the procession of 5Kms.from ‘Peppathi Chapel’ to Piravom Church. A big

denaha.jpg (6475 bytes)
From the Denaha

congregation takes part in the procession, singing hymns. Several sorts of musical instruments are played all along the procession road which stands bathed in illumination. Many are the troops who play band, chenda melam and nadaswaram. The church and its campus will be in full splendour with decoration. People take part in the celebrations regardless of religion. In short, the celebration on 6^th January can be regarded as the national festival of Piravom

E a s t e r

The ‘Paithel Nercha’ (the feast for 12 male children) on the Easter Day at the Piravom church is very famous. The ‘Paithel Nercha" is one of the major offerings dedicated to the church. The Function:- "12 infants will sit with the priest who sanctifies the offering and they will be feasted with delicious food". "Neyyappam", plantain fruit, "pidi", chicken curry, fish curry, rice etc will be served on plantain leaf(5 course dinner). Compared with all other churches in the whole world, the Piravom Valiyapally is the place where the highest number of Paithal Nerchas are offered. This makes the church world famous. There will be more than 20,000 "Nerchas" (offerings) on the Easter Day alone. People reach for the same even on the later Sundays too!, from all over Kerala and even from neighboring states.

The festival of St. George

The Thirunal of St.George (Geevarghese Sahada) is being celebrated in every festivity on 7^th May, every year. It is also celebrated in the 6 Chapels of the church, and also at one ‘Kurishadi’ (from May 1-to-6).

St.Mary’s Thirunal ("Sunoyo perunnal")

St. Mary’s Thirunnal on August 15^th is celebrated in the church and also in other two Chapels. The ‘Twelve Apostles’ Thirunal’ on June 30^th is held at the Seminary Chapel.

"K a l l i t t a T h i r u n a l" (Foundation stone laid-Celebration)

"Kallitta Thirunal" or Foundation Thirunal is celebrated at the Piravom Church with traditional rituals. It is on 8^th October (Kanni 23). It is believed that the Holy Kings on their return from Bethlehem began construction of the church building on this day.

The sceptre of the Holy Kings is revered in celebrations only on this day. The descendants of the servants (dependants) of the Holy Kings (Piravathu Rajakkal) are honoured with presents on this day. ‘Chalassery Panickar’ is honoured with "Anchekalum Koppum" (5¼ idengazhi rice, coconut, pumkin, yam, and banana, one bundle of ‘pappad’, betel leaf and arecanuts) All these are arranged in a

kallittathirunnal.jpg (5812 bytes)
Anchekalum Koppum Presented on the Kallitta thirunal

beautiful new basket and placed on a table. The function of presenting the"Anchekalum koppum" to the Chalassery Panickar is held from the very inception of the church. This seems to be the honour bestowed on him as he was the then commander-in-chief of the Holy Kings. The senior most of the nobles of the Chalassery Tharavadu reach the church on this day every year without fail and receive the present after paying homage to the Rajakkal, and the celebrations come to a close.

St. Mary / History / Photo Gallery / Holy Celebrations / Vows & Offerings
Spiritual Institutions / Educational Institutions / Miscellanies / Enquiry