For the first time in 36 years, Cochin Carnival, Kochi’s iconic and integral New Year extravaganza, has been completely called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cochin Carnival is a one-of-its-kind celebration in Kerala where people of a region come together welcoming the new year with more than a week of celebration and gala. Every year, tens of thousands of people throng to West Kochi’s Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, the hub of celebrations, to be part of various cultural events, art and sports competitions, DJ nights, a carnival and the ultimate event — burning of a giant ‘Pappanji’, the effigy of old man with a suit and a beard, which symbolises bidding goodbye to the past year and welcoming the New Year.
“This will be the first time that the whole celebrations are being cancelled. This is a peculiar situation with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic affecting people and we do not want to take a chance,” PJ Josey, one of the organising committee members told TNM. We have also taken into consideration the COVID-19 regulations issued by the state government, he added.
The Cochin Carnival was started by a group of youth back in 1984, when the United Nations declared the year as international youth year. Ever since then, Cochin Carnival has never taken a backseat completely. It was only twice — once in 2004 when a tsunami struck the Kerala coast and in 2006, when Saddam Hussein was killed, that the celebrations were partially called off, added Josey.
The carnival celebrations used to also be a rare platform for people to witness some of the unique art forms of the region, including Chavittu Nadakam. The two events which witness the most people are the burning of the giant ‘Pappanji’ when the clock strikes midnight on December 31 and a massive carnival rally held on January 1.
Cochin Carnival (2014) / Credits: FB / Kerala Tourism
With tens of thousands of people thronging to the region, often traffic regulations are put in place, disconnecting traffic between Kochi city and West Kochi region, which is separated by Vembanad Lake.
The tradition of burning ‘Pappanji’ in Kochi can be traced back before the launch of the Cochin Carnival itself. Interestingly, it is connected with the colonial Portuguese roots of Fort Kochi. In Portuguese language, Pappanji means grandfather, and it was the community’s tradition to burn the effigy of an old man to welcome a new year, artist Bonny Thomas who made the giant Pappanji last year had told TNM.
After Cochin Carnival celebrations started, a giant effigy used to be made every year. Even now, across the West Kochi region, families come together to burn small Pappanji effigies made in the region.
According to Kochi residents, though their new year will not be complete without Cochin Carnival, they said that the decision was apt. "I would miss the iconic tree in Fort Kochi fully decorated with lights and the huge Pappanji will be missed. It would be the carnival I will miss most as it has been a part of my life since I can remember. I don't even feel like it's December. There is no Christmas vibe in Fort Kochi in 2020," Alan Eric Fernandez, a local resident, said. "This is truly a loss, but considering the COVID-19 situation, this is a good decision," adds Akshay Nirmal, another Fort Kochi native.