RELIGIOUS FERVOUR MARKS FEASTOF SAINT MARY

RELIGIOUS FERVOUR MARKS 

FEASTOF SAINT MARY

The annual eight-day lent and birthday feast of Saint Mary were celebrated with religious fervour at various churches in the Central Travancore district of Pathanamthitta on Sunday.Believers observed the eight-day fast, ‘ettu-nombu’, from September 1 to 8 that came to a close with the celebration of the birthday feast of Saint Mary on Sunday.Hundreds of faithful attended the annual event, marking the culmination of the lent at various churches in the district.Special rituals such as ‘urul nercha,’ ‘adima’, etc., were performed at certain churches on Sunday.A large number of believers, cutting across religious barriers, were among those who turned up to attend the ceremony at various churches.

The ‘Urul Nercha,’ resembling the ‘saynapradakshinom’ at various Hindu temples, was performed at St George’s Orthodox Church at Kallumkal West, near Thiruvalla, as part of the annual celebrations in the forenoon.The Kallumkal St. George’s Orthodox Church is said to be the first parish attached to Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church to celebrate Saint Mary’s birthday feast way back in 1942.Women devotees on their knees taking a round of the church (‘muttinmel-izhayal’) and faithful carrying weight on their head in the ‘Raasa’ procession held after the holy Eucharist were the other rituals performed at the Kallumkal church as part of the celebrations.The celebrations came to a close with the ‘nercha-vilambu’, a serving of jaggery-rice in eco-friendly plates made of teak tree leaves to the faithfuls, later.

Fr. Emmanuel M. K, Fr. Thomas Varghese, and Fr. K. K. Joseph, celebrated a Holy Tri-mass, earlier, in the morning.St John's Malankara Catholic Church at Kadammanitta, St Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church at Oottupara, Pathanamthitta Mary Matha Catholic Church, St George’s Orthodox Church at Paliyekkara, St Mary’s Orthodox Church at Adoor, St Mary’s Orthodox Church at Kallooppara, St Mary's Church at Puthenpeedika, St Mary’s Valiyapalli founded by St Thomas’ at Niranom were the other churches where the ‘ettu-nombu’ and Saint Mary’s birthday feast were celebrated with religious fervour on Sunday.

Prof. John Kurakar