Kochi: The age-old rituals followed as part of the Sabarimala temple festival is more often than not linked to mythical history of Lord Ayyappa. One such important ritual is the Erumeli petta-thullal, the ceremonial dance by Alangad and Ambalapuzha groups to be performed on January 12 (27th of Malayalam month Dhanu). Devaswom Minister V S Sivakumar will flag off the Alangad group’s Pettapurappadu from Chembola Kalari at Alangad near Aluva on Sunday.
“Legend has it that Lord Ayyappa practiced weaponry at the training centre known as ‘Chembola Kalari’ in Alangad at the age of 10 and that the Lord led a team of warriors (known as Alangad sangham) of the kalari in a battle against ‘Maravas’. The group consisting of nearly 400 people from the region every year participates in the Erumeli Petta-thullal symbolizing the same. This is the first time a Devaswom Minister is flagging off the ‘Purappadu’,” said Sreekumar R, a member of the Alangad Yogam Pettah Sangham.
The Alangad group led by oracle of Kampilly Sankaran Venugopal would then proceed to Erumeli via Aluva Manapuram, Perumbavoor, Kadapattur to finally arrive at Erumeli, the most important stopover on the way to Sabarimala, by January 11.
“The Petta-thullal by our group will be held the next day from 3 pm upon witnessing a star in broad day light. The ceremonial dance by the other group, Ambalapuzha, will be held in the morning after sighting the kite (Krishna Parunthu) flying in rounds. As per custom, no petta-thullal should be done after the our’s but the same is hardly followed,” laments Sreekumar.
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