Parumala Perunnal, celebrated in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala attracts a lot of attention from locals and tourists alike owing to its religious aura. This festival is mainly celebrated to commemorate the death anniversary of Bishop Mar Gregorios Metropolitan who was one of the renowned saints of his times. People revered him a lot and confided in him for genuine life advice.
A lot of rituals are observed on the day of Parumala Perunnal which includes people offering their prayers and celebrating with lip-smacking delicacies, which is one of the major highlights of this festival. Not just that, a colourful procession is also carried throughout the town in which people invest themselves with great enthusiasm.
This popular festival of Kerala ends with some really interesting cultural performances and the participants enjoy the evening with scrumptious food, shopping and loads of fun.
For more details visit - www.parumalachurch.com
History of Parumala Perunnal
The place Parumala is fundamentally a petty village located on the shores of River Pampa in South India.
Once, there was a time when a famous saint named Malankara Metropolitan Joseph Mar Dionysius used to walk upon these very lands. He was born in Kunnamkulam and because of his immense wisdom and mystical aura people respected him a lot. He was a man with a vision, which was to establish a seminary here for the greater good of humanity.
Thus, for this very purpose, a two-acre plot of land was donated to him by Arikupurathu Mathen Karnavar. This piece of land was specifically used to construct a building that was later known as Azhippura and was used for providing lessons in the Syriac language. Thus, with time, eventually, Dionysius passed on this responsibility to Mar Gregorios for carrying out his teachings in an effective manner.
Major attractions of Parumala Perunnal Festival
On the auspicious occasion of this festival, Saint Mar Gregorios is interred within the church. There is also a flag hoisting ceremony, after which, a ceremonial procession in the town is carried out and is attended by devotees from all over the state.
How to Reach
This festival is majorly held in the village of Parumala, Kerala. Kerala is situated at an approximate distance of 2,639 km, 1,252 km, 2,232, and 462 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore respectively. Let’s discuss how you can reach Kerala via the following routes.
By Air. The Parumala church where this festival is observed is located in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. From here, the Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) is the nearest airport situated at an approximate distance of 120-130 km. Apart from that Cochin International Airport (COK) is located at an approximate distance of 160-170 km.
Established in 1932, this particular airport majorly serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram. In 1991, this airport was declared as the fifth international airport of India by the then-Prime Minister, V.P. Singh. After Kochi, it is known to be the second busiest airport in Kerala and the fourteenth busiest in all of India.
Various airlines like Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet operate to and fro on a regular basis here. After you deboard at the airport, you will need to cover the remaining distance of around 126 km to Parumala by some means of transportation like a cab, auto or a bus.
By Train. The nearest train station from this place is Chegannur. This station is located at a distance of around 10-20 km from Parumala. This train station is considered as the busiest train station on the Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kollam Junction-Kottayam-Ernakulam route. It may be so due to the presence of Sabarimala pilgrims on this particular route.
It is particularly managed by the Southern Railway which comes under the authority of the Thiruvananthapuram Railway division. People traveling to and from the Pathanamthitta district will find this route to be quite convenient.
From Delhi, you can board Kerala Express via New Delhi Railway Station. From Coimbatore, you can board the Kochuveli Express via Podanur Junction. From Mangalore, you will need to board LTT KCVL EXPRESS from the Mangalore Junction.
By Road. You can also plan on visiting this place via road network as well. From Madurai, you will need to cover a total distance of 257 km via NH 85 or NH 183. From Munnar, you will need to cover a total distance of 171 km via NH 85. From Coimbatore, you can cover an approximate distance of 274 km via NH544. From Mysuru, you will need to cover a total distance of about 477 km via Salem-Kochi Highway or NH544.
Apart from that, you can also rely on traveling via interstate buses. From places like Mysuru, it will take you around 11 hours costing you about Rs.600. From Madurai, you will need to change buses in between and travel via Kottayam or Alapuzha. The journey from Madurai will cost you somewhere between Rs.600 to 1,200.
