With ‘Cochin Carnival’ bursting into multicultural symphony – This is the best time to be in ‘Fort Kochi’
Drawing visitors from across the world, the curious carnival (Dec 23- Jan 1) has a flurry of events lined up till the final burning of the Pappanji effigy on December 31 midnight.
The Pappanji is the effigy of an old man (which can go up to 60 feet in height) , which is set ablaze on New Year’s Eve as a tradition which is believed to be the Portuguese way of welcoming a new year.
Come 2024, Fort Kochi will burst into a riot of colours as brilliantly costumed people, tableaux, dancers, jugglers, folk artists, masquerades, bands and martial artists will take to the festooned streets in a final carnival parade.
Last year, during the carnival finale, the customary burning of Pappanji at the Parade Ground attracted 2.5 lakh people with the capacity of the ground a mere 25,000. The city expects around 3 lakh people for the midnight spectacle this year.
Apart from the local arts,folk dance and bike races, a rangoli competition is held in the precincts of the Marathi temple in Mattanchery. On this day, the temple is open to every participant, including non-Hindus. This shows the true spirit of the carnival,” as per committee members.
According to Francis Solly,member of Carnival Committee, it will take two more days to finalise the design — something that sparked a controversy last year — and the club that will take up the making of the model. Meanwhile, many residents have raised complaints about synthetic and plastic materials being used for the making of Pappanji, which will create massive pollution when burned.
The Cochin Carnival started in 1984 when three young people from Fort Kochi — George Augustine Thundiparambil (Roy), Ananda Felix Scaria (Ananda Surya) and Antony Anoop Scaria ) — decided to organise a public event to celebrate the signing of a UN proclamation declaring 1985 as the International Youth Year. They roped in youth clubs in the region, who pitched ideas and, gradually, it evolved into a veritable carnival with colourful processions, including Kerala’s folk and ritualistic art forms, dance, music and tableaux.
According to Sohan K J, former mayor of Kochi, one of the members of the Cochin Carnival committee. “Into its 40th edition, the carnival has grown in scale and scope and still retains its character of being a secular, multicultural festival.”
