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Edathua Perunnal Festivals Page| Christmas| Easter| Good Friday | Maunty Thursday
Edathua Perunnal, Kerala is one of the most famous festivals in India. Edathua Perunnal Kerala is celebrated at St, George's Church, Edathua, 23 km southeast of Alappuzha town. The annual feast of St George Church, Edathua, attracts a large number of believers from across the state to the scenic village of Edathua. The annual feast here starts on the 27th of
April with the hoisting of the flag and concludes on the 7th of May. During the
feast, the statue of St. George, decked in gold regalia, is carried out and
placed on the dais in the centre of the basilica. The St. George's church at Edathua stands
on the bank of the river Pampa, sixteen miles southeast Alappuzha. Edathua
church was founded in 1810 AD, under its ancient mother church, Champakulam
Kalloorkadu St. Mary's, which was founded in 417 AD. In fact traditionally the
Edathua church is known as the "Church of Geevarghese." In Malayalam St George
is known as Geevarghese. How this saint came to be known as Geevarghese and
became so popular among the ancient St Thomas christens or Syrian Christians
(Traditionally known as Nazarenes in the Malayalam language spoken by the people
of kerala, India) of Kerala is still a mystery. Varghese is also perhaps the
most popular traditional name of Nazarene men. Like most beliefs about the
Nearest railway stations : Thiruvalla about 12
km; Alappuzha about 24 km. More...
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Nasranee
community of Kerala the history of Edathua Church and the statue of Geevarghese
(which interestingly look very different from the St George icons found anywhere
else in the world including Kerala) is mired in myth and miracle stories of
grandmothers, hearsay and some church records. Edathua Church was built by a
few Catholic families of Edathua area. Prominent among them was the Oorammelil
family of Pandankary, who broke away from the Champakkulam parish which is a few
miles west of Edathua. It is said that even though originally the Church was
built in the name of Arch Angel Michael, the church came to be known as
Geevarhghese's Chuch after the the parish members purchased the icon of
Geevarghese (St George) from Edappally near Eranakulam. The story is that even
though the people of Edathua had purchased the Icon from the Edappally Church
they had to forcefully take possession of the icon from Edappally and flee in
the fast snakeboats (Chundanvallam) in the context of some miracles and
subsequent hesitance from people of Edappally to part with the icon.