Panmana Pooram is the culmination day of the annual festival
at the famous Sri Subramanya Swamy Temple at Panmana near Chavara in Kollam
District in Kerala. The 11-day annual festival is observed in Kumbham month starting from Atham nakshatra.
Another festival is observed in Thulam month in such a way that the 11-day festival ends on Karutha Vavu or the Amavasya day in Thulam month.
Thaipooyam in Makaram month is another important festival in the temple.
The deity worshipped in the temple is Balamuruga who faces east.
The Upa Devatas in the temple are Ganapathy, Ayyappa and Hidumban.
A unique offering known as Mooda is performed in the shrine to Subramania. This is done to solve issues related to childbirth and pregnancy. Banama, salt, jaggery, and ariyunda are put inside a arecanut leaf (pala). The pala is then made into a ball and tied with banana leaf. This is then offered to Balamuruga or child Murugan in the temple.
The temple is mentioned in the Unni Neeli Sandesham of the 14th century AD.
The highlight of the celebrations is dozens of caparisoned
elephants and the change of parasols to the accompaniment of Panchavadyam and
Panchari melam. Various other unique offerings are made at the shrine during
the fortnight period of festival. Traditional performing arts, music and dance are staged
during the period. Caparisoned elephants, melam, fireworks and sheevali are
part of the festival. The temple is traditionally decorated with plantain, coconut
leaves, flowers, leaves, traditional lamps and lights.
The festival ends with Arattu. The utsava murti of the deity
is taken out of the shrine for ritual bathing on the final day. Caparisoned
elephants and melam are part of the ritual.