Nemmara Vela

Nemmara Vela

Nemmara, a small village in the Palakkad District of Kerala state, southern India is known far and wide for its 'Vela' festival known as Nemmara-Vallangi Vela.It is the biggest of all vela held in Kerala.

The Vela is a festival celebrated in the villages of the Palakkad and Thrissur (especially in Talappilly Taluk) districts in summer, after the harvest. The prominent crop in this area is rice. After the harvest, the fields are empty and dry, and this is the time for the Vela. The Vela is celebrated on a grand scale, equaling the famous 'Trissur Pooram'. The festival is believed to be the birthday of the presiding deity of the village temple or the memory of a major event like the killing of a demon by the goddess.The most highlight of vela is fireworks.

The Vela falls on the 20th day of 'Meenam', the month in the Malayalam era (2nd or 3rd of April). Two competing groups, Nemmara and Vallangi, have their own temples plus a common temple, the Nellikkulangara, where the two groups can mingle. The festivities start ten days earlier than the actual day of Vela, with the hoisting of a flag (Kodiyettam), in the respective temples. Natives are not supposed to leave the village once the flags have been raised.

The Nemmara group starts its Vela from the Mandam or Vela Mandam and the Vallangi from the Siva temple. There are 11 to 15 elephants for each of the two groups. These elephants are decorated and to the accompaniment of percussion instruments, are paraded through the main thoroughfares of the town. In the evening, these groups reach the Nellikulangara temple. There is an area of empty fields here, enough to accommodate a large crowd.

The festival attracts a lot of people not only from nearby, but also from the neighbouring districts of Trissur, Malappuram and from Tamil Nadu. The Vela is also an occasion for family reunions. People of the villages settled elsewhere, make it a point to attend the festival. People celebrate this event as a whole without any discrimination of caste/religion.Some foreign tourists are also usually seen. Many TV channels broadcast the festival live.

Another attraction of the festival is the Aana Pandal which is an arch-like structure, where the caparisoned elephants remain for some time. The 'Pandal', fully decorated with coloured electric lamps, give out different light patterns when switched on. Both groups keep the design of the illuminations a secret. The switching on of the 'Pandal' on the previous day of the festival is a grand occasion for the local people.

The finale of the festival is the fireworks display. It is a magnificent show, with both sides vying to get the upper hand. New techniques are tried every year to bring out the best performance. The quality and quantity of the fireworks are discussed by the people for many days after the event.