Celebrating Mamankam on the banks of Nil
Annapoorni V V1
1Research Assistant, Samskruti Foundation
annapoornivv.sf@gmail.com
Bharat is the land of festivals. People of Bharat celebrate festivals daily in every nook and corner of the nation. The Jala-utsav-s of Bharat which celebrate the sanctity of major rivers such as River Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Sindhu; Cauvery, Godavari, Krishna and Mahanadi and their tributaries, sub-tributaries and distributaries are brought out in this section. In this article, the Mamankam festival celebrated in Thirunavaya of Malappuram district in Kerala state is presented.
Mamankam on the banks of Bharathapuzha (Perar or Nilanadi)
Mamankam is a temple festival and trade fair celebrated beside the Navamukunda temple at Thirunavaya on the banks of Bharathapuzha once in 12 years. This festival would span over 28 days starting from the Malayalam month of Makaram. This ends when the Makam star falls in Kumbham Malayalam month, i.e., the Magha Makam from which the word ‘Mamankam’ is derived. Navamukunda temple in Thirunavaya is one of the 108 temples in Bharat dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
As per the available historical references, Mamankam, is a medieval festival held beside the banks of Nilanadi to elect the ruler of next 12 years which resembles the Kumbh Mela of Uttara Bharat. It does not throw light on the actual importance of celebrating Mamankam as a river-festival. However, it is inferred that the battle for selecting the best ruler at the end of the Mamankam festival for next 12 years indicates the selection of the best protector of the land and its resources including the water resources.
Historians point out that Mamankam is an art and cultural celebration and also a science and trade fair which lasted for 28 days. Traders not only from the provinces of Kerala and Uttara Bharat but also traders and pilgrims from Arabia, China and Greece took part in this festival during medieval times. Historically speaking, the rulers of all provinces in Valluvanad would gather together and elect the new king (Perumal), who would rule for the next 12 years (until next Mamankam) [1]. There were bitter battles between Samoothiri and Vellaturi when Samoothiri forcibly took over the right to conduct Mamankam. The dispute changed the purpose of the festival (of selecting new rulers) and it became a bloody battlefield for revenge amongst Samoothiri and Vellattiri [2]. The ruler candidates fought each other. The lost ruler would punish himself by sacrificing his life. However, Mamankam was a festival held on the bank of a river (Bharathapuzha) [3].
Marunnara is situated on Kodakkal-Bandar Road. It was used by the Samutiris to store the explosives for the Mamankam battle. Manikkinar is a well in which the bodies of the dead Valluvanad warriors were thrown into by elephants. Changampally Kalari, The Kerala Government is protecting the place Nilapaduthara under the archeological department [4].
Similar to Mamankam, there are many such festivals celebrated on the banks of rivers across Bharat with historical significance that reflects the Jala Samskruti of Bharat in reviving and protecting the water quality. They need to be explored for sustainable water resource management.
References
[1] Narayanan Ramhari, (2020). Thirunavaya, the holy site of medieval festival Mamankam, Onmanorama, published online on December 16, 2020, retrieved on January 06, 2025, https://www.onmanorama.com/travel/kerala/2019/09/13/thirunavaya-holy-site-medieval-festival-trade-fair-mamankam.html
[2] Government of Kerala, Thirunavaya Village Office Official Web Portal, https://village.kerala.gov.in/Office_websites/more_events.php?nm=504504Thirunavayavillageoffice
[3] Jayakumar, N. (2020),Mamangam / Mamankam Monuments and Thirunavaya Temple, Jayakumar N, uploaded in YouTube on Jan 08, 2020, retrieved on January 06, 2025, https://youtu.be/ezfCyAqMYmI?t=146
[4] Government of Kerala, Thirunavaya Village Office Official Web Portal, https://village.kerala.gov.in/Office_websites/more_events.php?nm=504504Thirunavayavillageoffice
