The Gala De Fort Kochi Club erected a 55 feet high Pappanji at the Veli Ground in Fort Kochi. This year, two main Pappanjis will be lit in Fort Kochi to ring in the New Year: one at the Veli Ground and the other at the Parade Ground. | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT
In what could be a major shift in the New Year celebrations in the city, Pappanji – a giant effigy of an old man – will be lit at two major locations in Fort Kochi this time.
A Pappanji installed by the Cochin Carnival Committee, which traditionally organizes celebrations with official support, will be lit at the Parade Ground, while Gala De Fort Kochi, a local charity club, has received permission to burn an effigy it has erected at the Veli Ground.
Although parallel events were also scheduled to take place last year when the club secured permission through Supreme Court intervention, the carnival committee canceled its celebrations as part of official mourning following the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
The club last went to court after police ordered it to remove the effigy for security reasons. However, the High Court ruled that the club, which had obtained the required permissions from government departments, should not have been prevented from burning the effigy.
District officials hope the simultaneous events will help with crowd management, a key issue during the festivities. Tens of thousands of people, including international and domestic tourists, are expected to turn up in the beach town for a unique New Year’s revelry.
“We will put in place the same security protocols at both the venues. It would be better to conduct events at both venues as the crowd will be divided. The Parade Ground is expected to hold about 40,000 people and the Veli Ground about 25,000,” said Deputy Collector (Disaster Management) K. Manoj. He added that the possibility of installing large screens to stream the event outside the venues is also being looked into to control the rush.
The organizers of both events said that the preparations are in the final stage. “Various events including swimming, rifle shooting and bike races were held as part of the carnival and the construction of the 50-feet high Pappanji is progressing. A barricade will be erected around the effigy and around 30 CCTV cameras will be installed at various locations as per police instructions,” said crowd management consultant Sohan, the ground will be divided into four sections.
Ten years ago, the committee shifted the celebrations from the Fort Kochi beach to the Parade Ground following severe coastal erosion.
Ancy VJ, president of Gala De Fort Kochi, said that the work on the 50 feet high Pappanji has been completed. The look was inspired by a figure seen at an Italian carnival last year, he said. He added that fencing and installation of surveillance cameras are underway in accordance with security guidelines.
The district administration has directed the officials of various departments to ensure that all security measures are implemented at both the places within the time limit. The instructions were issued at a meeting chaired by District Collector G Priyanka and Mayor VK Minimol on Saturday to review the steps taken by various departments for the smooth running of the mega events.
Published – 28 Dec 2025 21:06 IST
