Korattymuthy Feast

St. Mary's Forane Church in Koratty belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic denomination of Christianity and is believed to have been established in 1381. Here, the deity Mother Mary is known as Korattymuthy, the Malayalam term for 'The Mother of Koratty'.

St. Mary's Forane Church is a unique shrine due to the following 2 reasons.
1) A South Indian variety of banana known as poovan is given as offering to Korattymuthy.
2) Devotees enter the main church building by walking on their knees from the entrance till the altar, as a form of repentance. The knee-walking ritual is known as Muttilizhayal in Malayalam.

This blog contains 20 photos from Korattymuthy Feast, the annual feast of the church.

Location : Thrissur District, Kerala.

Photos shot in October 2017.

All photos © S Srikant.

Devotees listen to the the audio of Holy Mass in progress inside St. Mary's Forane Church on the occasion of Korattymuthy Feast in Koratty, before dawn. They had to stand out because the church hall was full.

A woman receiving the Holy Communion after the conclusion of the Holy Mass, early in the morning in Koratty.

A man swings a thurible as holy smoke comes out, in St. Mary's Forane Church, Koratty.

People reach out to Korattymuthy as they seek her blessings during Korattymuthy Feast in St. Mary's Forane Church, Koratty.

Offering (nercha) made of flattened rice being given to devotees during Korattymuthy Feast in St. Mary's Forane Church, Koratty.

A hand reaches out in prayer.

Devotees wait in queues as it drizzles during Korattymuthy Feast in Koratty.

A girl looks on as she gets weighed against poovan bananas in thulabharam (weighing scale). The 2 men are looking up at the balance indicator. A Korattymuthy idol is seen at the back.

Poovan bananas being put in covers and sold to devotees as offering (nercha) in designated counters at St. Mary's Forane Church in Koratty.

A young woman adjusts a Korattymuthy lamp's flame. Notice the bunch of bananas hanging near the feet of Korattymuthy.

Devotees performing Muttilizhayal, a ritual in which they walk on knees, as they are about to enter the main hall of St. Mary's Forane Church, Koratty. This ritual is done to seek forgiveness from Korattymuthy for sins committed by them.

People performing Muttilizhayal (knee-walking) as they are about to enter the main hall of St. Mary's Forane Church in Koratty during Korattymuthy Feast.

Priests blessing devotees in St. Mary's Forane Church, Koratty.

The Korattymuthy Feast procession begins, lead by men carrying crosses, from St. Mary's Forane Church, Koratty.

Men in green & white play the chenda with zest during Korattymuthy Feast procession.

Orange juice being served to participants of Korattymuthy Feast procession by residents in a street in Koratty.

Members of Korattymuthy Feast procession walk past a cross and celebratory balloons in Koratty.

Women performing mudiyattam, a ritual where they let loose their hair and sway their heads, as the procession passes before them in Koratty.

Firework in a house compound in Koratty, behind a crucifix kept at the main gate, as Korattymuthy Feast procession passes in front of it.

A man produces fire by spewing out flammable liquid during Korattymuthy Feast at St. Mary's Forane Church in Koratty.