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Nenmara Vallanghy Vela
Two villages spend a year's savings on a single night in the rice fields
The date follows the Malayalam calendar; the one open question each year is the fireworks licence, which the Palakkad district administration grants a few days before.
The legend
Legend says a local chief, Moopil Nair, brought the goddess here through his penance. She left her umbrella by a pond, and no one could lift it afterwards.
The Vela recalls Bhadrakali's victory over the demon Darika and the celebrations that followed. For twenty days of Meenam the story is sung at the temple.
Two neighbouring villages, Nenmara and Vallanghy, hold the feast of Nellikulangara Bhagavathy after the rice harvest, on the cleared paddy.
Customs
Panchavadyam
Each village's procession moves to panchavadyam and pandi melam, played by hundreds of drummers and wind players.
Kudamattam
In front of the Nellikulangara temple both villages stage kudamattam, a show of changing bright festival parasols.
Fireworks
The villages compete with fireworks: the first display goes up around four in the afternoon, the second before dawn, from three to six.