Maramon Convention, the biggest Christian conference in Asia, is a spiritual & cultural meet of Kerala Christians. All Christian churches participate in this convention. This spiritual festival continues to run for over a century. It is an eight day-long annual festival, conducting every month of February.
The Maramon Convention is pre-eminently an assembly of Christians who once a year come here for listening to the Word of God as read and expounded by leaders of Christian thought from all over India as well as abroad. Preaching and Bible study occupy the major part of the conference programmer. Along with the religious reading and discourse, singing of hymns and praying for the sick and the needy are also held. It is grand sight to behold the sea of humanity offer prayers for the sick and the suffering for half an hour every day for a week. Prayer and worship at the convention accompanied by singing is a wonderful experience for every participant- an experience which purges and cleanses his soul and draws him closer to God and to his fellowmen.
Convention location is on the banks of river Pamba. It is known as Pamba Manalppuram (vast sand-bed). Here a big temporary pandal (canopy) is created. In this pandal over one lake persons can sit. Temporary bridges are built across river Pamba. Traditionally Cadjan leaves are used for pandal. Maramon, Kozhenchery, Pullad, Ayiroor, Kumbanad & other nearby parishes together create the pandal. They donate Cadjan leaves, bamboo poles & other materials for erecting the convention pandal. About a week before the convention, the sand banks become a scene of great activity. All round the pandal there are temporary sheds and tents for various purposes furthering the objects of the Convention. Stalls for the sale of religious literature, church offices and restaurants are allowed to operate in the vicinity of the pandal under the strict control of the authorities. Long valloms (boats) with canopies, and stored with provisions for the use of families from distant places lie anchored in the river.
Bishops of Marthoma church & other churches, ministers, MLAs, political & cultural leaders & different personalities participate in the convention. Audience is a big crowd. However there will be no appointing police & security persons. Each person obeys self discipline. This is a specialty of Maramon Convention.
Preparation for convention starts months ago by church & government departments. Organizing committee and other 16 sub committees are doing their own duties well. Mike using started in convention since 1948. Till then the lecturers’ words reached to the audience through mouth to mouth method. In these periods there was no electricity. So petromaxes were used for light. Now latest voice & light technologies are used.
Building homes for poor, destitute homes, Sunday school & other activities & ideas are created by Maramon Convention. The convention spreads unity of different christian churches. Also it gives spiritual progress & relief for believers.
Maramon is also famous as the birth place of Palakkunnathu Abraham Maplah, leader of the reformation in the Syrian Church of Malabar in the 19th century. This village which developed into a town has the added distinction of being the venue of Maramon Convention.
The Maramon Convention is pre-eminently an assembly of Christians who once a year come here for listening to the Word of God as read and expounded by leaders of Christian thought from all over India as well as abroad. Preaching and Bible study occupy the major part of the conference programmer. Along with the religious reading and discourse, singing of hymns and praying for the sick and the needy are also held. It is grand sight to behold the sea of humanity offer prayers for the sick and the suffering for half an hour every day for a week. Prayer and worship at the convention accompanied by singing is a wonderful experience for every participant- an experience which purges and cleanses his soul and draws him closer to God and to his fellowmen.
Convention location is on the banks of river Pamba. It is known as Pamba Manalppuram (vast sand-bed). Here a big temporary pandal (canopy) is created. In this pandal over one lake persons can sit. Temporary bridges are built across river Pamba. Traditionally Cadjan leaves are used for pandal. Maramon, Kozhenchery, Pullad, Ayiroor, Kumbanad & other nearby parishes together create the pandal. They donate Cadjan leaves, bamboo poles & other materials for erecting the convention pandal. About a week before the convention, the sand banks become a scene of great activity. All round the pandal there are temporary sheds and tents for various purposes furthering the objects of the Convention. Stalls for the sale of religious literature, church offices and restaurants are allowed to operate in the vicinity of the pandal under the strict control of the authorities. Long valloms (boats) with canopies, and stored with provisions for the use of families from distant places lie anchored in the river.
Bishops of Marthoma church & other churches, ministers, MLAs, political & cultural leaders & different personalities participate in the convention. Audience is a big crowd. However there will be no appointing police & security persons. Each person obeys self discipline. This is a specialty of Maramon Convention.
Preparation for convention starts months ago by church & government departments. Organizing committee and other 16 sub committees are doing their own duties well. Mike using started in convention since 1948. Till then the lecturers’ words reached to the audience through mouth to mouth method. In these periods there was no electricity. So petromaxes were used for light. Now latest voice & light technologies are used.
Building homes for poor, destitute homes, Sunday school & other activities & ideas are created by Maramon Convention. The convention spreads unity of different christian churches. Also it gives spiritual progress & relief for believers.
Maramon is also famous as the birth place of Palakkunnathu Abraham Maplah, leader of the reformation in the Syrian Church of Malabar in the 19th century. This village which developed into a town has the added distinction of being the venue of Maramon Convention.
Author : Sakeer
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