33rd Mamankam Memorial Festival to Be Held at Tirunavaya from January 22 to 24, 2027

Azhvanchery Thamprakkal, the traditional head of the historic Azhvanchery Mana, has announced that the 33rd Mamankam memorial festival will be held at Tirunavaya from January 22 to 24, 2027.

The festival is organised by Re-Echo, a cultural organisation that has been holding the event since 1994. Azhvanchery Thamprakkal serves as the chief patron of the organisation. The annual commemoration is intended to familiarise younger generations with the history of Mamankam and to promote the cultural heritage of Tirunavaya.

Re-Echo has also been involved in efforts to protect Mamankam monuments and to secure their takeover by the State government.

The three-day programme will include a historical re-enactment, an Angavaal procession, a memorial journey, history seminars, communal harmony meetings, the lighting of the Mamankam memorial lamp, Kalaripayattu demonstrations, and book releases.

The dates were announced in the traditional manner at a function held at Azhvanchery Mana in Athavanad. Re-Echo president Poovathingal Rasheed presided over the event. Guruswamy K.V. Unnikurup handed over the festival calendar, while organising committee chairman Ullattil Ravindran delivered the keynote address. Convenor M.K. Satheesh Babu explained the programmes.

Among those who spoke were Ambujan Tavanur, K.K. Abdur Razaji, Athavanad Mohammed Kutty, Satheeshan Kalichath, artist Premji, Ayyappan Kurumbathur, K.V. Moideenkutty, M.S. Unnikrishnan, Mulakkal Mohammedali, K.P. Alavi, and Chirakkal Umar.

Azhvanchery Mana, located at Athavanad near Tirunavaya, holds a significant place in Kerala's religious and cultural history. The senior member of the Namboodiri household traditionally bore the title of Azhvanchery Thamprakkal and was regarded as a leading authority among Kerala's Namboodiris on religious customs and rituals.

The Thamprakkal also had a role in the Mamankam festival, which was historically held every 12 years at Tirunavaya. Historical accounts associate the Thamprakkal with the Mamankam Nilapaduthara, where he is said to have shared the presiding position with the Zamorin. According to tradition, Azhvanchery was among the families linked to Vedic learning and ritual practices in Kerala, and the name is believed to derive from 'Azhvan', meaning to rule or control.

Re-Echo officials said the festival seeks to keep the memory of Mamankam alive through history, cultural programmes, and public participation.