KOTTAYAM: Thousands of devotees gathered at St Mary’s Forane Church at Kuravilangad on Tuesday to witness the famous ‘kappalottam’ ritual on the second day of ‘moonunombu’ in which a wooden ship made in the third century was taken out in a procession.
The ritual is to commemorate Jewish prophet Jonah’s journey to Nineveh on a ship. As per the Old Testament, God instructed the prophet to go to Nineveh to foretell the destruction to it. Instead, Jonah fled in a ship to Tarshish that gets caught in a storm. The passengers cast Jonah into the sea and he gets eaten by a whale. After three days in the belly, Jonah is coughed up. He then travels to Nineveh.
The ritual re-enacts Jonah’s journey through the sea. The rogation in connection with the moonunombu commenced on Monday. Devotees on the second day take the ship in a procession on a chariot.
The ship is usually carried by the locals of Kadappoor, especially members from five families namely Karuthedam, Chembankulam, Puthusherry, Anchery and Valiyaveedu.
The mid-day procession with the 40-feet wooden ship, built with an effigy of Jonah being vomited by the fish, showcased the maritime tradition of early Nasranis.
The ritual began as a celebration for the safety of earlier Nasrani mariners.
After going around the 48-feet-tall stone cross, the procession with the ship goes back to the church.
A holly mass that followed was led by Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla Homas Mar Koorilos in which Mar Joseph Madathikkandathil delivered the sermon. The festival concludes on Wednesday. The feast of St Sebastian has been scheduled to begin here on February 10.