KOCHI: The biggest New Year cultural festival in the city, the Cochin Carnival, is all set to add zest to the celebrations welcoming 2026, with preparations entering the final lap. Setting the stage for a grand finish, the traditional round of festivities are under way and the pappanji — the giant effigy that will be torched on the stroke of New Year — is ready in Fort Kochi.
One major concern that local residents have highlighted is the risk of crowd management and the dangers lurking if the events on New Year’s Eve are not planned properly.
“There’s a huge rush in Fort Kochi this year because of a lack of public Christmas and New Year programmes around us. Since this is a constricted space of three kilometres, crowd mobility has already become difficult. We expect the police to enforce again the security measures they implemented the past two years to prevent untoward incidents,” said P J Josie, programme treasurer of the Cochin Carnival Committee.
The unexpected crowd surge on December 25 had stirred safety debates over the organisation of programmes involving massive gatherings in the region. After witnessing the lighting of a huge Christmas tree at the Veli Ground, people reported health issues with many facing breathing difficulty as they were moving out of the ground.
According to Stephen Roberts, a local resident and organiser, the measures adopted in the previous years for crowd control, like limiting spectator entry to the Parade Ground and implementing one-way entry and exit systems right from Thoppumpady can reduce risk.
On the New Year’s Eve, tens of thousands of people converge at the Parade Ground, which can accommodate around 45,000 people, to witness the once-in-a-year event of pappanji-burning.
Given the near stampede of 2022, and the unexpected surge on Christmas Day at Veli Ground, the authorities have started taking precautions to ensure the celebrations pass peacefully. In that regard, a meeting was held in the district collector’s chamber on Saturday, with representatives from several departments present, to analyse safety and security measures during the carnival.
Collector G Priyanka has called for sufficient police force, parking facilities and traffic regulations, installation of security devices like CCTV cameras across the town, and adequate police patrolling in the days leading to New Year. She has directed the authorities to arrange for adequate boat, water metro, and bus services, and has also asked the food safety department to ensure the quality of food served at temporary food stalls.
This year, for the first time, the ceremonial pappanji-burning is slated to happen — officially — at two locations: one at Parade Ground and the other at Veli Ground.
Main venues
Parade Ground, spread across approximately four acres, where less than 50,000 are allowed at a time
Veli Ground, spread across approximately seven acres
Crowd expected on Dec 31: More than 2 lakh
Ways to reach Fort Kochi: Ro-Ro boat services, water metro services, bus services from Thoppumpady