Ezhara Ponnana festival
Seven-and-half golden elephants, “Ezhara Pannana procession” held during the annual festival at Ettumanoor Sree Mahadeva Temple at Ettumanoor, Kerala, which is often referred to as “God’s Own Country”. Several of the temples have unique traditions and most hold festivals on specific days of the year. Temple festivals usually continue for several days and some temples can afford to involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol of the God in the temple is taken out on a procession around the countryside atop this elephant. In the Kumbham month on the night of the eighth-day devotees can witness the procession of seven-large sized golden elephants two feet high and an eighth one is one foot only, were offered to the deity by the then ruler of Travancore, Anizham Thriunal Marthanda Varma who made the pledge to present the ponnana during the reign of his successor, Maharaja Karthika Thirunal. They are later kept at the Asthana Mandapam for the annual darshan by the devotees. Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple constructed in 1542 AD ( 717ME), is an ancient Shiva temple, where tradition has it that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa had worshipped at this temple. The name of the place has its origin from the world manoor, which means “the land of Deer”. There is a golden flagstaff inside the temple topped with an idol of a bull surrounded by small bells and metal banyan tree leaves.
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Ettumanoor is located between Ernakulam 54km away and Kottayam district 12 km.