The annual feast of St. Mary at St. Mary's Church, Manarcad, near here, will commence on September 1.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will deliver the keynote address at a public meeting to be held on September 4. The meeting will be inaugurated by Catholicos Baselios Mar Thomas I, head of the Jacobite Syrian Church. Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Rural Development Minister K. C. Joseph, Food and Civil Supplies Minister T. M. Jacob, Jose K. Mani, MP, and Metropolitan Thomas Mar Themotheos of the Kottayam diocese of the church will speak on the occasion.
A religious procession (Raza) will be taken out to the ‘Kurisu Palli' (shrine) on September 6. Thousands of people are expected to take part in this rally, which is considered to be among the largest spiritual processions in Asia.
Catholicos Baselios Mar Thomas I will be the celebrant of the Holy Mass that will be held on September 7. It is on the same day that the ‘Nada Thurakkal', a high point of the Feast. The image of Mother Mary and Jesus Christ will be kept for public display on this day. This annual display will continue for a week till September 14.
The curtains will come down on the Feast on September 8.
