The organization of an annual Pooram in Tiruvalla to celebrate the Onam Festival was instigated in 1998 by Rev. Dr. Mulamoottil on his return to India having completed his studies in Europe.
He was Chairman of the organizing committee for the first Pooram which was a combined initiative between Tiruvalla Municipality and the newly formed Central Travancore Development Society (CTDS) of which he was a founding member and the President. The CTDS involves people from all walks of life to promote the social and cultural growth of the region and bring it to national and international attention.

The objective of organizing an annual Pooram on a grand scale was to evoke a sense of unity among the people. The Muslim, Hindu and Christian communities actively take part in it and they play a very prominent role in the very conduct of the festival. From the organizing committee to participants, people from all walks of life are involved.

The Malayalam word pooram literally means festival. It was believed that every year the dynastic Gods and Goddesses of neighboring provinces met together for a day of celebrations, in which richly decorated elephants are an important feature.

The funds for the Pooram are collected from the public; it attracts a huge following of people from nearby districts as it is the only Pooram in Central Travancore.

The main features of the Tiruvalla Pooram are as follows:

• The two days of festivities begin with a Poorachamayam, an exhibition of various Pooram artefacts held at the YMCA hall in the town
• 1,001 oil lamps are lit at the SC Seminary Junction in the evening
• A mass feast is also held as part of the annual festival
• A cultural procession is held from Tiruvalla junction to the stadium where the Poooram is declared open.

Colour and gaiety mark the Pooram festival. The elephants are decorated with Nettippattom, Aalavattom, Venchamarom ornaments. Each elephant bears an umbrella holder, a peacock-fan carrier and a yak-tail flywhisk wielder. A major event of the Pooram festival is the Panchavadyam in which about 200 artistes from the disciplines of Thimila, Maddalam, Trumpet, Cymbal and Edakka participate. Another major event of the Pooram begins with the setting off of the ‘Pandemelam’ at noon in which about 200 artistes in the disciplines of drum, trumpets, pipe and cymbal participate. Percussion and wind orchestras stand in between the lines of elephants. With an increase in the volume of each orchestra, a new display of ceremonial umbrellas blossom over the elephants and continues till sunset. The Pooram concludes with brilliant display of fireworks.

Testimonial from Salim (President of Merchants Association Thiruvalla)

Father Abraham Mulamoottil, the hard working and dedicated man who has given his entire life for the upliftment of the society. His vision and foresight about the world is something that we should study from him. He has played an important role in the making of Tiruvalla.

Salim Contact No. 09447033133

 

 

Photographs taken in the early years of the Pooram Festival

some of which include Rev. Dr. Mulamoottil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rev. Father Mulamoottil organized the setting up of a summer camp for children in 1987 in the Tiruvalla Diocese to provide them with opportunities to expand their skills, make friends and enjoy new education experiences. They continue to be organized every April by parishes in the Diocese.

He organized a mixed group of people to help run the camps including teachers. nuns, social workers, and priests etc. They are given one week’s training in team work, facilitation, peer counseling, participatory workshops, film screenings, discussions, campfires, cultural programs. Each parish organizes a four day residential camp for both boys and girls. About 50 trained resource persons lead small groups of 5 to 8 children in a variety of activities such as:

• Personality development classes
• Career oriented interactions
• Learning music
• Picnics
• Campfires
• Cultural Programs
• Discovering nature
• Value Education

The camps provide wonderful opportunities for young people to expand their personal interests and to enhance current skill sets and build new ones. These camps also reinforce family values and relationships through mentoring and help develop peer relationships while providing fun activities that build independence, confidence and community feeling.

Sister Tess (Mob. No. 09656276911) who worked with Rev. Fr. Mulamoottil was recently interviewed about her experiences of the first four years of the Jesus Camps, and she confirmed that 500 children participated each year.

Some images from Jesus camp, Tiruvalla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Niranam is a village in the Central Travancore region in Kerala. It was a local port in ancient Kerala, on the confluence of the Manimala and Achankovil rivers. It is approximately five kilometres from Thiruvalla in the Pathanamthitta District of Kerala.  St Thomas Apostle is reputed to have founded a church in Niranam after his arrival in AD54, thus the Christian community in Niranam is claimed to be the oldest in India and among the oldest in the world. Niranam Cathedral has been the seat of the various Malankara metropolitans.

Rev. Father Abraham Mulamoottil joined as the parish priest of St. Joseph’s Church Niranam in 1983. In line with his interest in social awakening, he was determined to address the lack of useful employment potential for the youth of the area. He arranged meetings with all of them (from all castes and creed) at the church in the evenings. The main source of livelihood for the community was seasonal paddy cultivation. The consequence for the youth was a tendency to drink and fight at the junction close to the priest’s lodging. Because of the evening gatherings, Father Mulamoottil came to know that most of the people in the community reared cattle which were not used as a source of income. A small quantity of milk was given to a nearby tea shop.

Father prepared a project and submitted it to Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), popularly known as Milma. Milma initially rejected the proposal. With the help of a localite named Thankachan, a database of cattle owners was developed by Father. As most of the people where illiterate, it was difficult to convince them of the importance of this process in setting up a registered milk producing society at Niranam. Many meetings with cattle owners were required to establish that milk production of 700 litres was possible, and that setting up a cooperative requiring ten rupee investment and one rupee registration fee would benefit the community. A committee was formed and the first president was Elagikkal Perumal. The profit at the end of the first year in operation was nine thousand rupees. The membership of the society increased to 420 people in the following year.

The consequences of this successful initiative by Rev. Fr. Mulamoottil have been very significant. It is now the second largest in the district of Pathanamthitta. Advanced mechanisms and equipment are used to check on milk adulteration. The role of women in the community has changed radically. When the men went to work in the fields, the women took over the running of the dairy which they do expertly. This has given them an independent means of earning an income, gain respect in their families, and gain confidence to move out of the village for work and other work –related activities.

This project reflects Fr. Mulamoottil’s skills in mass mobilization, organizing, infrastructure development, and income generation skill development. 

The following photographs were taken recently at the Niranam Milma Dairy with Rev. Dr. Abraham Mulamoottil in attendance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kombazha lies on the NH 47 in between Trichur and Vadakkancherry towns in Trichur district. The village is located on the national highway in the midst of hilly, forested terrain, close to the Peechi Dam catchment area. Most of the residents of Kombazha make their livelihoods from the forest and Peechi Dam. Rev. Father Abraham Mulamoottil joined as assistant vicar of Kombazha church in 1981 soon after his ordination. He was based in Chuvannamannu, about 8 kms from Kombazha. The people in that area were educationally backward and lacking in moral and ethical values, alcoholism being a significant problem. Rev. Father Mulamoottil used to come to Kombazha to engage the people there in the evenings in education in social and moral values.

During the evening sessions the issue of a need for a bus shelter or waiting shed on the NH 47 highway was raised to make the long wait for the only form of transport to local towns more bearable. Rev. Fr. Mulamoottil organized the design and supply of materials for the shelter. He sourced from the parish, coconut leaves which the villagers plaited in the traditional way to form the roof. Members of the village sourced logs from the forest to build the shed. The villagers were then mobilized to make bricks from local materials in order to build an assembly hall, which was subsequently developed into a school- St. Mary's Public School (CBSC), Kombazha, Vaniampara P. O., Thrissur Dt. – 680 652. Phone : 04872 687228.