Panchayath/ Municipality/ Pookod Panchayat Corporation

LOCATION District

Nearest Town/ – 4.8 km Landmark/ Junction

Nearest Bus statio Guruvayur K S R T C Bus Stand – 4.7 km

Nearest Railway Guruvayur Railway Station – 5.5 Km statio ACCESSIBILITY

Nearest Airport Cochin International Airport – 79.6 Km

Alukkal Temple, Pukkode, Guruvayur, , Thrissur, – 680505 CONTACT Ph No: 0487 2682730 (Pookode Panchayat Office) DATES FREQUENCY DURATION

TIME October - November Annually 8 days

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL (Legend/History/Myth)

Vavu Vela is an annual festival conducted in Alukkal Paradevatha Temple which is the saviour of Kottapadi Village. The Alukkal Temple in it's glorious days was being managed and administered by the Royal Family. The Vauvela is a glittering festival wich is being celebrated in full scale which is conducted to celebrate the divine presence of the deity in the temple.

Local Approximately 1000 RELEVANCE- NO. OF PEOPLE (Local / National / International) PARTICIPATED EVENTS/PROGRAMS DESCRIPTION (How festival is celebrated)

Ganapathy Homam followed by Ushapooja, Navkam, Ganapathy Homam Panchagavyam, Uchapooja & Ezhunnallippu in the forenoon Ushapooja and in the afternoon Deeparadhana, Thayampoka, Navkam Athazhapooja, Kalamezhuthupattu, Chuttuvilakku followed Panchagavyam by most popular Prasadam Oottu On the day of the Uchapooja beginning of the Utsavam there is one special Mulayidal Ezhunnallippu ritual also. Similarly on the second day onwards, there is a Deeparadhana ritual called Parayeduppu starting from Moolastanam at Thayampoka Kottekkat. The Parayeduppu is in the form of a procession Athazhapooja visiting houses. Those who are interested can offer their Kalamezhuthupattu Para to the Paradevatha. Nowadays there is also Chuttuvilakku competition in this field among devotees/ Houses as a result Prasadam Oottu of which the benefit goes to the Paradevatha in a most Mulayidal deserved manner. The final day of the Festival is more Melam important in regard to various items of entertainments Theyyam staged on the final day. There is a Prasadam Uttu after

Uchapooja. Thereafter to remind the old Glory of the Temple

there is an Ezhunnallippu from the Temple to the Punnathur

Kotta with accompanying Melam. The processions on

Caprisoned Elephants return by evening to the Temple

accompanied by Melam. In between there is vela in the

Maidan as is depicted in the pictures above. The Theyyam

like entertainment is also staged but not as much liberally as

it used to be in olden days.