Kunissery
Encyclopedia
Kunissery is a small village in the Palakkad district
of Kerala
state, South India. It is 7 km east of Alathur
. Kunissery's famous festival is Kummatti which is celebrated on the birthday of the local goddess Pookulathi on the Punartham Star
of Meenam.
which is 22 km from Palakkad
town.
One of the attractions is Kanyar, a folk art practised by the Nair
community.
Kummatti falls on the "Punartham" star of Meenam month (mid-March to mid-April) every year. It is also the birthday or "Pirannaal" of the Bhagavathy.
On Punartham of Kumbam (Feb-March), people of Kunissery assemble at "Vari Mandam" (വരി മന്ദം) to start announcement of Kummatti after a month. This is called the "Vari Idal". Starting this date till Kanyar Day, all types of Vaadyam (Chenda etc.) is banned for usage in the village.
On the day before the Kummatti, the Kanyar is performed. On the day of the festival, ten caparisoned elephants participate in a procession. Kannyar Kali owes its origin to the practicing of martial arts in the region, which was under the constant threat of attack from neighbouring Kongu Nadu
. At the high point of the celebration, the villagers who have assembled near the temple are asked if they will defend the village. Only upon getting a positive answer can the celebrations proceed. If any one of the villagers dissents, the celebrations are held up.
Apart from the famous Kummatti, the annual Aarat (holy bath) coinciding with Dasara and the twelve-yearly celebration of Valia Aarat (Big Festival) is noteworthy. Once every 32 years, there is a joint festival called Thalapoli in which the people of Kunisseri who worship the deity Pookulangara Bhagavathy go to "meet" her father Pallavoorappan (that is, Shiva
), in the nearby village of Pallavoor.
Another performance involves an art form called "Ponnani Kali". Here, after many days of training under an "Aasan" (ആശാന്, teacher), the villagers dress in costumes representing folk characters such as Panan the pot maker, Chakiliyan the leather worker, Vannan the washer man, Cheruman the farm-hand, and others representing various castes. Its origins are unknown and the name Ponnani Kali is curious. It seems to have nothing to do with Ponnani
, which is a town in the Malappuram
district.
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, South India. It is 7 km east of Alathur
Alathur
Alathur is a small town in the Palakkad district of Kerala, South India. It is the headquarters of the Alathur Taluk and is situated at the south west end of the district 24 km from the district headquarters at Palakkad. Alathur Taluk is predominantly rural and has an agricultural economy...
. Kunissery's famous festival is Kummatti which is celebrated on the birthday of the local goddess Pookulathi on the Punartham Star
Punarvasu
Punarvasu is a Nakshatra in Hindu astrology, which refers to the two brightest stars in the constellation of Gemini: Castor and Pollux.In Malayalam Punarvasu is termed Punartham...
of Meenam.
Kummati Festival
The Kummati festival is held at the Pookulangara Bhagavathy Temple, 7 km from AlathurAlathur
Alathur is a small town in the Palakkad district of Kerala, South India. It is the headquarters of the Alathur Taluk and is situated at the south west end of the district 24 km from the district headquarters at Palakkad. Alathur Taluk is predominantly rural and has an agricultural economy...
which is 22 km from Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
town.
One of the attractions is Kanyar, a folk art practised by the Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
community.
Kummatti falls on the "Punartham" star of Meenam month (mid-March to mid-April) every year. It is also the birthday or "Pirannaal" of the Bhagavathy.
On Punartham of Kumbam (Feb-March), people of Kunissery assemble at "Vari Mandam" (വരി മന്ദം) to start announcement of Kummatti after a month. This is called the "Vari Idal". Starting this date till Kanyar Day, all types of Vaadyam (Chenda etc.) is banned for usage in the village.
On the day before the Kummatti, the Kanyar is performed. On the day of the festival, ten caparisoned elephants participate in a procession. Kannyar Kali owes its origin to the practicing of martial arts in the region, which was under the constant threat of attack from neighbouring Kongu Nadu
Kongu Nadu
Kongu Nadu is a region comprising the western part of the Tamil Nadu India. The region is bounded on the west and north-west by the Karnataka state, on the west by the Kerala state, on the east by Tondai Nadu, on the south-east by Chola Nadu and on the south by Madurai regions of...
. At the high point of the celebration, the villagers who have assembled near the temple are asked if they will defend the village. Only upon getting a positive answer can the celebrations proceed. If any one of the villagers dissents, the celebrations are held up.
Apart from the famous Kummatti, the annual Aarat (holy bath) coinciding with Dasara and the twelve-yearly celebration of Valia Aarat (Big Festival) is noteworthy. Once every 32 years, there is a joint festival called Thalapoli in which the people of Kunisseri who worship the deity Pookulangara Bhagavathy go to "meet" her father Pallavoorappan (that is, Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
), in the nearby village of Pallavoor.
Kannyar and Ponnani Kalis
Dance and comedy performances were added to military training to make it more interesting and challenging. The result is a combination of the agile movements of martial arts (Kalaripayattu) with the rhythmic grace of folk dancing. The Kannyar Kali is usually performed during March–April in temples as well as in places called Tharas (grounds), a venue for informal gatherings. The dance is accompanied by folk songs and percussion instruments.Another performance involves an art form called "Ponnani Kali". Here, after many days of training under an "Aasan" (ആശാന്, teacher), the villagers dress in costumes representing folk characters such as Panan the pot maker, Chakiliyan the leather worker, Vannan the washer man, Cheruman the farm-hand, and others representing various castes. Its origins are unknown and the name Ponnani Kali is curious. It seems to have nothing to do with Ponnani
Ponnani
Ponnani/Ponani is an ancient port, a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 9.32 km2. Ponnani taluk is the smallest Taluk in Malappuram district. This tiny, picturesque town is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west...
, which is a town in the Malappuram
Malappuram
Malappuram is a municipality in the South Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. As per the 2011 census Malappuram urban agglomeration is the fourth largest UA in kerala with a total population of...
district.
Angala Parameswari Temple
Right next to the Pookulangara Bhagavathy Temple is the Angala Parameswari Temple, a family deity or kaavu for many families. Unverified history has it that the Bhagavathy was moved here about 750 years ago by a set of devotees from Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) as they sought to find greener pastures during a famine. To this day, the priest of this temple hails from Trichy.Getting There
- Nearest railway station: Palakkad, about 22 km away.
- Nearest airport : CoimbatoreCoimbatore AirportCoimbatore Airport is a customs airport located at Peelamedu, Coimbatore. It was previously known as Coimbatore Civil Aerodrome. It is about from the city center. It is located along Peelamedu and Neelambur, with passenger entry at Neelambur and cargo entry at Peelamedu...
in Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, about 55 km