Erumely – Pettathullal

Erumeli is a town in Kottayam district in Kerala, India. It is situated on the way to the famous temple, Sabarimala. Erumeli is a popular pilgrimage center for devotees visiting Sabarimala. It is at a distance of 49km from Kottayam town, 133km from Thiruvananthapuram. One of the most important rituals of the Sabarimala pilgrimage is the Pettathullal in Erumeli. The history behind this dance is when Lord Ayyappa killed a terrific Mahishi, people rejoice and dance. The Pettathullal is done in the memory of that. The pilgrims apply charcoal and other colors in their face and body. From Dharma Shastha temple, they dance with music and move towards Vaavaru Mosque, then to the Main temple. They enter the temple, rotate around the sanctum, and burn camphor to end the Pettathulal. This Pettathulal is related to Makaravilaku in Sabarimala. Mainly there are two groups for this, the Ambalapuzha group and Alangadu group. The Pettathulal begins when a sacred eagle flies around above the temple.