KOCHI: The Pappanji is the ‘totem’ of the New Year celebrations in Kochi. This year’s old man, signifying the year that was, has been designed by artist and writer Bonny Thomas, and will stand 45-ft tall.
It will be set alight on the midnight of New Year’s Eve, marking the end of the annual Cochin Carnival.
The Pappanji is made in an iron frame with eco-friendly materials, including cotton and paper. The setting up will be done at Greenix Village, a cultural tourism centre which has been given charge of making the Pappanji.
“Pappanji burning is a secular festival of Kochi in which over a lakh people participate,” said Bonny. Traditionally, many Pappanjis would be burnt during the New Year celebrations. However, when the Cochin Carnival became a popular event in the 1980s, the Pappanji burning became a community event.
The Pappanji is often mistaken to be Santa Claus, because of his western outfit. But it is actually a reference to Portuguese history. In Portuguese families, Pappanji means grandfather or old man. “When a year ends on the night of December 31, the Pappanji burning is symbolic of life and time itself,” said Bonny.