Panchayath/ Municipality/ Municipality Corporation

LOCATION District

Nearest Town/ Irinjalakuda – 1.1 km Landmark/ Junction

Nearest Bus statio Irinjalakuda K S R T C Bus Stand – 3 km

Nearest Railway Irinjalakuda Railway Station – 7.7 km statio ACCESSIBILITY

Nearest Airport Cochin International Airport – 37.1 km

St. Thomas Cathedral Church Irinjalakuda, Thrissur Dist., – 680 121 Ph No: 0480-2825386, 0480-2826376 E-mail: [email protected] CONTACT Website: st.thomascathedral.com DATES FREQUENCY DURATION

TIME January Annually 3 days

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL (Legend/History/Myth) Denha (Epiphany) is an ancient and important feast of the Saint Thomas Christians. Saint Thomas Christians, like other Eastern Christians, celebrate Denha (Epiphany) as a great feast to commemorate the Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan. The liturgical season Denhakalam (Weeks of Epiphany) commemorates the second revelation at the Baptism and the following public life of Jesus. Denha is celebrated on January 6 by Syro-Malabarians in two ways - Pindiperunnal ("Plantain trunk feast") and Rakkuliperunal ("feast with a night bath").

Local Approximately 1000 RELEVANCE- NO. OF PEOPLE (Local / National / International) PARTICIPATED EVENTS/PROGRAMS DESCRIPTION (How festival is celebrated) Pindiperunal is common mostly in the northern areas like Exhibition of decorated Trichur region. Usually it is celebrated on the Sunday which Pindi comes 13 days after Christmas i.e. on 6th of January (if it is a Sunday) or the first Sunday after 6th of January every Sacred Arrow processes year. Most of the Irinjalakuda people await the festival for at least two three months in advance. The main celebrations will start on Saturday morning. The start of the festival is heralded by drummings which go through the main roads of Irinjalakuda. This starts a lot of frenzied activities starting from preparing the right plantian in front of the house. Its a proud moment to find a right plantain decorated in front of the house for the house owner. A specially decorated plantain trunk is erected in front of houses with many torches attached to it. On the previous night of Denha celebration, the family members used to go around it singing a Syriac hymn El Payya, which means "God is light". Special dishes are prepared during this time, especially meat dishes. Some parishes organise competitions for the best decorated plantain. There are special prayers conducted in certain churches. Also there will be Sacred Arrow processes for each family unit, which starts from Saturday. The Sacred Arrow is to commemorate the arrows which pierced the body of Saint Sebastian. This is brought to each home to be venerated by the house members, to make offerings. This Sacred Arrow is escorted to the decorated chariots after sometime accompanied by lot of fireworks. These happens mainly on the days of Saturday and Monday. The main festival is on Sunday. Everyone sporting a new dress eagerly participates in the procession or awaits it. The main procession starts by around 3 PM accompanied by prayers, and is preceded by heavy fireworks. People both near and dear, flock from various places to share the festivities.