| Nemmara | |
| — town — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala |
| District(s) | Palakkad |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
Nemmara is a predominantly rural village in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala in India. Nemmara and Vallangi form the two parts of this village.
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It is situated on the Trissur Pollachi route. From here, one can go to Tamil Nadu via Kollengode and Govindapuram to reach the town of Pollachi. The district headquarters is 30 km away. Nemmara is the entry point to Nelliampathi, which is situated 30 km away. Pothundi Dam is 9 km from Nemmara on the way to Nelliampathi.Ayalur is a village near Nemmara which is well known for Temples and festivals like "AYALUR VELA" and "RADHOLSAVAM".Ariyakode is yet another beautiful village in Nemmara which is blessed with scenic paddy fields and huge rocks.This place has been a major location for many cine shooting too.
The two villages of Nemmara and Vallangi were important trade centres in the past. In fact, the name Nemmara is believed to have been originated from the words 'nai maariya ooru', meaning 'the place where ghee was traded'. Another possible source might be 'nenmaniyude ara', which means 'the store room of rice.'
The population conmprises mostly Hindus, castes like Nair, Ezhuthachan, Iyer, Ezhava and Chetty. There are some Muslims and Christians as well. The major occupation is agriculture focussing on paddy, vegetables, ginger and rubber.
Prior to independence, this area was part of the Kochi kingdom.
The village was originally surrounded by paddy fields. However, nowadays they are slowly being converted to residential areas.
Nemmara is well-known for its 'Vela' festival, known as Nemmara-Vallangi Vela. Equalling the famous 'Trissur Pooram', it is celebrated in the villages of the Palakkad district in summer after the rice is harvested. Rice is a common grain crop in the area. But there are other possible reasons for celebrating Vela at this time, among them the birthday of the temple deity or the killing of a demon by the goddess.
The festival attracts people from the immediate area as well as the neighbouring districts of Trissur, Malappuram and Tamil Nadu, in addition to foreign tourists. TV channels broadcast the festival live.
The Vela falls on the 20th day of 'Meenam', the month in the Malayalam calendar, which falls on the second or third of April. The two competing groups, Nemmara and Vallangi, have their own temples plus a common temple, Nellikkulangara, wherey congregate for this festival. Starting ten days prior to the actual holiday of Vela, the festivities begin with the hoisting of flags in the separate temples. Natives are not supposed to leave the village once the flag hoisting is done. Throughout the ten days, there will be some ritual at night.
Nemmara starts its Vela from the Mannattu Muthi temple and Vallangi from the Siva temple. Each group has between 11 and 15 elephants, which are adorned and paraded through the main thoroughfare accompanied by drums and other percussion instruments. Selecting the elephants is a prestigious issue for the organisers. They compete to get the best elephants of Kerala, paying exorbitant sums. In the evening, these groups reach the Nellikulangara temple. There is a vast area of empty fields, providing enough space to accommodate a large crowd. Many people come, as the Vela is a good occasion for family reunions.
Another attraction of the festival is the 'Aana Pandal', an arch-like structure where the caparisoned elephants remain for some time. This arch is decorated with coloured electric lamps, which give different patterns of light, when switched on. The switching on of the 'Pandal' on the previous day of the festival is a big event for the local people. Both groups keep the design and the illumination of the 'Pandal' a secret.
The finale of the festival is a display of fireworks. It is a magnificent show, as both sides strive to outdo each other. 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 and is said to match those seen at the Trichur Pooram festival.
Apart from this great event there are many local festivals celebrated graciously by the people in this area."AYYAPPAN VILAK MAHOTSAVAM" is celebrated graciously by Nemmarites especially in villages like ARIYAKODE and THALAVATTAMPARA
These festivals and celebrations unifies the people of Nemmara which is considered to be a peaceful and harmoniuos city.
'Navaneetha Krishna Temple' is famous for the annual 'Ratholsavam', which is a popular car festival."Kalchadi" water falls is really a beautiful site to be watched out for especially in the winter season.
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