Keeping tradition alive
RADHAKRISHNAN KUTTOOR
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The centuries-old `aval nercha' is a much awaited event at Pazhaya Suriyani Pally, Chengannur.
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ROYAL OFFERING: The eight-headed coconut-scraper is used only during the annual aval nercha.
The annual `aval nercha,' offering of sweetened rice flakes, was celebrated with traditional fervour at the centuries-old Old Syrian Church, locally known as Pazhaya Suriyani Pally, at Chengannur. Hundreds of people attended the annual affair that is held on Maundy Thursday.
The aval nercha custom is said to have an uninterrupted history of not less than 400 years. It was the patronage of the then rural chieftain of Vanjippuzha Palace, attached to the erstwhile kingdom of Venad who ruled Chengannur in the 16th century, which made it a popular event in the region.
The Vanjippuzha chief had given the power of local administration to Thomman Thomman, founder of the Mukkathu family of Syrian Christians, who had migrated to Chengannur in the late 16th century.
Origins of the custom
According to church trustee V.A. Abraham, the origin of the aval nercha is attributed to an elderly matriarch of the Mukkathu family named Ackamma who used to take a small packet of aval to distribute it to the devotees after the Holy Qurbana on Maundy Thursday.
Ackamma used to give a pinch of rice flakes to all around her, and the members of the Mukkathu family continued the practice even after her death. The aval nercha became an elaborate event in later years, says Babu Zacharia, a former English professor and former president of the Mukkathu Kudumbayogam.
It is believed that a unique eight-headed coconut-scraper was gifted to the church by the royal chief for the annual aval nercha. There are others who believe that the foldable eight-headed coconut scraper is as old as the 1,700-year-old church. This antique piece is a major attraction of of the aval nercha.
More than a thousand coconuts, 300 kg of rice flakes, 200 kg of jaggery, and spices go into the preparation of the aval, says Zacharia.
In the olden days, all these items were collected from the members of the Mukkathu family. However, now, rice flakes, jaggery and spices are purchased from the market, while the coconuts are collected from family members.
Collective effort
As many as 100 family members assemble on the church premises on the eve of Maundy Thursday, immediately after the evening service. The eldest member of the family present breaks a coconut after a short prayer, marking the beginning of the collective preparation of the aval.
The sweetened aval is kept to soak and swell in large bell metal vessels. It is distributed immediately after the morning service.
The faithful here still follow the custom and tradition of accepting the aval nercha in a cloth and not in a container of any kind, says Abraham.
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