Cheriapally Festival, also known as Kanni 20 Perunal, is the annual feast held at Marthoma Church in Kothamangalam. It is celebrated to commemorate Bawa, the patron saint of Kothamangalam. This two-day long festival falls in the first week of October.
Cheriapally Festival draws a large number of devotees from all over Kerala for a great religious and cultural meet. A peculiar section of this festival is the colorful ‘Rasa’ (ceremonial procession), which is led by a Nair youth from the Chakkala family. He carries a traditional lamp recalling how Bawa was escorted to the church by his ancestor. The bowing of elephants is another highlight of this festival.
