Pothottam Mahotsavam
The Legend and Celebration of Pothottam Mahotsavam
The ritualistic festival of Pothottam (Traditional Buffalo Race) is celebrated on the Makam asterism in the Malayalam month of Kanni, at the Pothottamparambu ground adjacent to the Adat Udalakkavu Temple.
As part of the ritual, a ceremonial procession escorts a buffalo from the Thottappalli Kaali Temple, located near Adat Kuroorpara. Upon reaching the ground, coconuts are ritually broken at the Ganapathi-kallu (Ganesha stone), and the buffalo is then made to sprint three times around the Shivathara (sacred platform of Lord Shiva). Following this, other traditional buffaloes representing local lineages, such as the Kunnathulli and Pulinchery buffaloes, join the race.
A Festival of Faith and Agriculture
According to legend, this unique festival is observed to shield agricultural crops from destruction, ward off natural calamities, and bestow prosperity upon farming families. Performed at the Udalakkavu Temple ground, this ritualistic art form stands as a profound symbol of hope for the farming community and is also widely celebrated as a harvest festival.
Known traditionally as the Ayilyam-Makam Pothottam Mahotsavam, this agricultural heritage event now receives financial support from the Adat Grama Panchayat as part of the Scheduled Caste Cultural Festival. It is an occasion celebrated with immense joy by people cutting across all barriers of caste and religion, in the firm belief that it ushers in peace, welfare, and prosperity for the entire region.
Cultural Highlights & Heritage
The day of the festival is brought to life with vibrant traditional folk-art performances, including Mudiyattam and soul-stirring folk songs (Nadan Pattu). Another fascinating aspect of this sacred venue is the ancient Pala (Alstonia scholaris/Milkwood) tree standing on the Udalakkavu Temple premises, which elders believe to be nearly a millennium old.
