EZHARAPPONNANA

One of the most popular rituals at the Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple is the legendary Ezharapponnana, which translates to "the seven-and-a-half golden elephants." This grand event takes place once in twelve months and is a spectacle to behold. The highlight of Ezharapponnana is the procession of seven-and-a-half elephants, made of wood and covered entirely of pure gold, accompanied by traditional music and dance. Devotees from all over the country flock to witness this awe-inspiring event, seeking blessings and experiencing spirituality at its finest.

According to legend, they were presented to the temple by Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the founder of the Travancore kingdom. According to another story, while Marthanda Varma had made the pledge to present the ‘ponnana’, the offering was made during the reign of his successor, Maharaja Karthika Thirunal. There are also differing stories about the reason for the offering: some believe it was offered as a penalty for the damages suffered by the temple during the annexation of Thekkumcore by Travancore; others believe it was the offering made when the marauding army of the Tipu Sultan was hammering on the gates of Travancore. The statuettes are made of a jackfruit tree and covered in gold plates weighing nearly 13 kg.

Next....