Mannarkkad Pooram

Mannarkkad Pooram is one of the oldest temple festivals in the State that attracted large number of people from different parts of the district, particularly the Adivasis from nearby Attappady Hills.

The festival is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Kumbham. It is held in front of Arakurissi Udayarkunnu Bhagavathy Temple in Mannarkkad town, 40 km northeast of Palakkad town.

The temple is controlled by the family of the erstwhile rulers of the area – the Mannarkkad Mooppil Nair.

Mannarkkad has memories of the invasion of Tipu Sultan and Mopila riot of Malabar in which hundreds of people lost their lives in 1921.

The festival is celebrated by people of different religions and communities. The town has for ages attracted immigrants from the southern States and is an amazing community of people who speak multiple languages including Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Tulu. Thus, Mannarkkad Pooram is a festival of harmony of cultures.

The festival also provides the tribal people a market for trading their products.

Nestled between the rivers Kunthipuzha and Nellipuzha, the Mannarkkad valley is famous for its natural beauty. The unique Silent Valley rain forests and the Attappady Hills, part of the Nilgiri biosphere, add grandeur to the scenery.