The Thalappoli festival began at the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathi temple in Kodungallur with the customary firing of 1,001 barrel crackers (kathina vedi) and the lighting of neyvilakku at the temple on Sunday.
The Edamukku Kudumbi clan head lit the crackers at the temple in the evening marking the beginning of the four-day festival. The festive mood has already been set in every nook and corner of the town. The temple authorities, Cochin Devaswom Board and Temple Advisory Samithy, have alsomade elaborate arrangements to accommodate hordes of devotees who will converge at the temple town in the next four days to take part in the festival.
The Thalappoli festival, the harvest festival similar to ‘Pongal’ of Tamil Nadu, is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Makaram and the four-day Thalappoli commences from the evening of Makara Sankranthi with religious rituals.