Puthuppally: Perunnal at St. George Orthodox Church

Puthuppally is best known for St. George Orthodox Church and its annual Perunnal. The church stands on the east bank of the Kodoorar Rivulet. The festival links a specific place with a recurring cultural tradition. So, when choosing a holiday rental in Puthuppally, whether you want to travel around the time of the festival may influence your preferred dates.

The Perunnal: two days in honor of St. George

The Puthuppally Perunnal, also called the Feast of St. George, is the church’s annual festival. It takes place in the Malayalam month of Medam, which spans April to May, and lasts two days. The festival is regarded as a sign of religious fellowship: people take part regardless of caste or religious affiliation. For families who would like to include cultural events in their trip, this provides a clearly defined timeframe.

The exact date of the festival may depend on local calendars and customs. April to May therefore describes the period of the Malayalam month of Medam, not a fixed date for every travel year. If you want to plan your stay specifically around the Perunnal, check the date for the relevant year before planning your trip.

A special feature of the festival is the Ponkurisu, the Golden Cross of St. George Orthodox Church. It is carried only during the procession of the annual Puthuppally Perunnal. The procession gives the festival a distinctive and clearly recognizable connection to the church. Another notable object is a bronze cross with a tortoise-foot base, believed to be as old as the church.

The church and the riverbank

Its location on the east bank of the Kodoorar Rivulet gives St. George Orthodox Church a precise geographical setting within Puthuppally. Together with the festival tradition, this riverside location offers a specific point of interest for travelers interested in religious sites and their local customs. The subject can thus be explored through both the riverside setting and the annual festival.

When choosing your travel dates, what matters is how important the Perunnal is to you. Those who want to experience the festival can plan around its variable date in Medam; those traveling to Puthuppally at another time can consider the church and its location on the Kodoorar Rivulet as a cultural point of interest in their own right. You can therefore base your holiday rental search on the focus of your trip, without assuming a specific festival date.

Kottayam as a broader travel destination

In the broader destination of Kottayam, nature and water experiences complement Puthuppally’s cultural focus with other interests. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary covers 14 acres on the shore of Vembanad Lake. It is home to 91 native bird species and 50 migratory species. The site thus combines a distinctive lakeside setting with a clear focus on birdwatching.

Houseboats and motorboats can be hired in Kottayam for birdwatching trips on Vembanad Lake. Traditional Kettuvallam cargo boats have been converted into cruise boats and houseboats. These boats are equipped with kitchens, toilets, bathrooms, and seating areas. Thus, in the broader destination, lake observations and trips on the water offer different travel interests alongside the church festival in Puthuppally.

Another festival highlight in the broader destination of Kottayam is the Kumarakom Boat Race. It takes place during the Onam period on the Kavanar and Kottathodu rivers. About 50 types of boats take part, including Veppu, Ody, and Churulan boats, as well as some snake boats. The approximate number and variety of boats offer a different festival perspective from the two-day Perunnal in Puthuppally. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between a stay focused on the church festival and other cultural or water-related interests in the broader Kottayam area.

Discover more destinations: Muppaikad, Thiruvarpu, Manimala, Anthiyalam, Pala, Kottayam, Anthinad, Vaikom.

Go to the broader travel overview: Kottayam.