About Maramon Convention
Maramon Convention
The Maramon Convention, the largest Christian conventionin the world, is held at Maramon, Pathanamthitta,
Kerala, India annually during the month of February on the vast sand-bed of the Pampa River next to the
Kozhencherry Bridge.[1] It is organised by the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, the missionary wing of the
The origin and growth of this annual get-together for one week at a stretch can be traced to the great revival
movement which gathered momentum along with the reformation in the ancient Syrian Church of Malabar
under the pioneering leadership of Abraham Malpan. This brought about the resurgence of the ancient apostolic
Church in Kerala founded by St. Thomas the Apostle of Jesus Christ, believed to be in AD 52.
Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association
By 1877, there were two factions in the Malankara church, known as Bishop faction (Methran Kakshi) and
Patriarch faction (Bava Kakshi). By a court verdict on 12 July 1889 Bishop faction lost all the properties. Just before the verdict
was given, on 5 September 1888, 12 members of the Bishop faction formed a missionary group called "Mar
Thoma Evangelistic Association".[2][3] These 12 members are considered to be the founding fathers of the Maramon
convention. The names of these 12 members are:-
Chengannur 4. Chempakasseril Kadavil Abraham, Kallissery 5. Chakkalayil Cherian Upadesi, Puthencavu 6. 1. Kottarathil Thomas
Kasseessa, Chengannur 2. Edavamvelil Mathai, Eraviperoor. 3. Kottooreth Yohannan,
Chempakasseril Kadavil Mathuchen,Kallissery 7. Azhakinal Thommi, Kallooppara 8. Nathaniel Upadesi,
Chengannur Kurichiath (Vattadiyil) Ittiyavara, Niranam 10. Arangat Philipose, Maramon 11. Ottaplammoottil Kunju Mathew, Kallissery 12. Kochumannil Skariah,
Edayaranmula
They met at the Kadavil Malika belonging to Chempakasseril Kadavil Abraham and Chempakasseril Kadavil
Mathuchen
(1860 - 1897). This house at Kallissery near Chengannur was built by their grandfather Unnittan Kathanar (1767 -
1852) and his son Abraham Kathanar (1822 - 1884) also known as Kadavil Achen, in the early 19th century.
(This historic Kadavil Malika was reclaimed by the Marthoma church and has recently been renovated and
recommissioned on Saturday, 10 September 2005.)
Beginning
By 1894 a number of small prayer groups were formed by reformers and this paved way for a revival. They had
regular meetings in various parishes. Because the number of people attending these meetings was growing, it was decided
to have a meeting of all these groups at a central place. During the 19th century, people began to occupy hilly place
due to clear felling of forests in and around the catchment area of Pampa river and started intensive cultivation of
annual crops like tapioca etc. which resulted large scale soil erosion. Deep river with mud was filled with white
sand, which became congenial place to assemble for a gathering of any size. No need for any seating arrangement as
people can sit on the neat white sand bed under roof made by knitted coconut leaves. The duty of organising this
meeting was given to the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association and the first convention was held in 1895 at
Maramon. Today changing habit of agriculture to rubber plantation and surfaced roads minimised soil erosion and large scale
sand mining for construction activities decreased the size of the sand bed to a great extent.
By 1900 reformers adopted the name Malankara Marthoma Suriyani Sabha also known as the Mar Thoma Church.
View of Convention
Maramon Convention (2008). This view of the convention is from Kozhencherry side. Kozhencherry bridge is on the
right. There is no empty space inside the Panthal (tent). So people are standing outside and sitting in the shades
to listen to the messages.
First Convention
The first convention was held for 10 days from 8 to 17 March 1895. The venue was the vast sand-bed of the
Pampa Rivernext to the Maramon church. The parishes in and around Maramon – Kozhencherry helped in
making a very large panthal (tent) to accommodate about 10,000 people. The main speakers were David and
Wordsworth. On an average 10,000 to 15,000 people attended these meetings. On the last day almost 25,000
attended. There were no proper roads during those days. So nearby houses accommodated the people from far
away places. Some of them came in boats and used them as their shelter.
Convention these days
Maramon Convention is held for eight days during the first week of the Great Lent that usually falls in February.
The tent has a seating capacity in excess of 160,000 people. They are seated on the dry sand bed. Old and weak
are given chairs to sit on. There is also a smaller tent erected next to the larger one for people with infants and
with children below 5. All around the tent there are temporary sheds and tents for various purposes related to the
Convention. Stalls for the sale of religious literature, church offices and restaurants are allowed to operate in the
vicinity of the tent under the strict control of the Church authorities
Programme.
The Maramon Convention is pre-eminently an assembly of Christians who once a year come here for listening to
the Word of God as read and expounded by leaders of Christian thought from all over India as well as abroad. Preaching
and Bible study occupy the major part of the convention programme. In the morning there will be separate Bible
study classes for Men, women, youth and children conducted by specially invited leaders. In the mornings and
afternoons there are public meetings and in the evening, meetings for men. Four of the afternoon public meetings
are for ‘’Social evils awareness. Mar Thoma Voluntary Evangelistic Association, Women's sessions
(Sevika Sangham) and Missionary Session. Though the choir leads the singing the whole gathering joins in singing
. A hymn book with 101 hymns including 16 new ones are printed every year for the convention use. Everyday half
an hour is spent for intercessory prayer. Also there are family gatherings, youth meetings and special gatherings
after the afternoon session.
Leaders
In addition to the Metropolitan and Episcopas of the church, distinguished world renowned speakers addressed this
convention. The Revd Thomas Walker, England (1900–1912),Sadhu Sunder Singh, Punjab (1918), Dr. G. Sherwood
Eddy (1919), Dr. E. Stanley Jones, USA (1920–1968), Dr. Toyohiko Kagawa, Japan (1938), John R. Mott, Nobel
Peace Prize winner (1946) and President of World Alliance of YMCAs, Dr. Bob Pierce, founder and president of
World Vision (1964 & 66), Astronaut Colonel James Irwin, who spent a few hours on the moon (1985),
Dr. John Haggai, founder president of Haggai Institute (1973), Bishop Donald Jacobs, Mennonite church (1974),
the Most Revd Dr. Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury (1986), the Most Revd Dr. George Carey, Archbishop
of Canterbury (1995), Dr. Samuel Kobia, WCC General Secretary (2007), the Revd Dr. A. B. Masalamani, the Revd
Dr. Sam Kamalesen, and a host of others.
Maramon Convention through the years
Maramon Convention 2012
The 117th Maramon Convention was held from 12 to 19 February on the vast sand-bed of the Pampa River next to
the Kozhencherry Bridge. at Maramon.
The main speakers were Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana (South Africa), Rev Dr. Kang San Tan and Rev. Martin
Alphons (USA)
Maramon Convention 2011
The 116th Maramon Convention was held from 13 to 20 February. Main speakers were the bishops of the Mar
Thoma Church; Most Rev. Roger Herft, Anglican Archbishop of Perth; Australia; Prof. Nyameko Barney Pityana,
a human rights lawyer, theologian in South Africa and an exponent of Black theology; Dr. R. Rajkumar; Rev.
Peter Maiden; Dr. Ulf Gunnar Ekman.
Maramon Convention 2010
The 115th Maramon Convention was held from 14 to 21 February. On the opening day and on the last three days,
the pandal (flat roof thatched by woven coconut leaves) that could accommodate almost 80,000 people overflowed
and an equal number found accommodation under the tree shades on both sides of the river.
Two hundred thousand copies of Marmon Convention hymn book (in Malayalam and with transliterated) with 16
new hymns were distributed. A choir of 101 members led the hymns. Every meeting began with a singing session
for 30 minutes.
The speakers included the Bishops of the Mar Thoma Church; Bishop Robert M Solomon, (Methodist Church,
Singapore); Reverend Canon Tim Dakin, (General Secretary ofChurch Missionary Society, England), Rev. Martin
Alphons (USA) and Rev. Vinod Victor, (Trivandrum, Kerala, India). Bishop Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom, Metropolitan
of the Marthandom Diocese of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church addressed the Ecumenical Meeting and Bishop
Sebastian Thekethecheril of the Latin Catholic Diocese of Vijayapuram addressed the Social Evils Awareness
Meeting. Most Rev. Joris Vercammen, Archbishop of Utrecht, president of the Union of Utrecht (of Old Catholic
Church), bishops from theMalabar Independent Syrian Church and bishops of Church of South India attended the
meetings.
Special Programmes
Social actitivities
The MTEA attaches greater importance to a crusade against social evils, alcoholism and drug-addition. In fact an
afternoon session in the convention is exclusively devoted for programmes against such evils to motivate the people
to stand solidly against such evils and to take up programmes designed to route out such evils. Besides there are
special sessions to focus attention on the ecumenical concerns, dalit activities, women's issues and children's
programme.
Missionary responsibilities
The Church is constantly challenged through this convention to fulfill its missionary responsibilities and to spread its
service activities from Tibetan Border in the extreme northern end of Uttar Pradesh, to Kanya Kumari (Cape
Comerin) in the South. Several service institutions of the Church owe their origin to this annual get together at
Maramon. Destitute homes, Ashrams, mission centres, hospitals, leprosy clinics, schools, and colleges have been
started in and outside Kerala, thereby creating a congenial atmosphere fort the moral, social and spiritual
upliftment of the masses and for the social and economic emancipation of the poorer sessions of the community. Schemes
for homes for the homeless, land for the landless, marriage aid schemes etc. have been started through the
inspiration and challenges at the convention, long before such schemes were initiated by the Government. In this
way the Church by and large, was inspired to become alive and responsive to the contemporary issues and challenges
through the messages of the Maramon Convention. It was in this way that the Mar Thoma Church was made known
the world over through the Maramon Convention.
Law and order
Most interesting aspect of this convention is the discipline shown by the participants all through the convention,
which has almost become an inviolable tradition. Police contingent is not required in the convention premises to maintain
law and order.
Financial matter
History of the financial matters is an interesting one. The panthal (tent), and the sheds are the voluntary contribution
s of the parishes nearby. Earlier, offerings were collected in every meeting. Now it is collected only in four of the 21
general meetings. The collection is distributed to various organisations of the church and also for the Bible society
and CSSM.[5]
Conclusion
All those who come to the convention area will experience the spiritual liveliness that inculcates a self-discipline.
The unbroken prayer is the force behind the spiritual inspiration. The Maramon Convention displays co-operation
and union between different sections of Church in Kerala. It fosters an ecumenical outlook. It is also a source of
spiritual inspiration and enlightenment for thousands.
See also
References
- ^ Kerala set for Asia's biggest Christian convention – Yahoo! India News
- ^ Rev.George Alexander (Ed). "Maramon Convention Sathapdhi Valum-’95." Page 166.
- ^ Mar Thoma Sabha Directory. (1999). Page 149.
- ^ Rev.George Alexander (Ed). "Maramon Convention Sathapdhi Valum-’95." Page 83-95.
- Mar Thoma Sabha Directory. (1999). Page 169
Further reading
- Rev.George Alexander (Ed).(1995). Maramon Convention Sathapdhi Valum-’95.
- Mathew, N.M. Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charitram, (History of the Marthoma Church), Volume II
- (2007). Volume III (2008) Pub. E.J.Institute, Tiruvalla.
- Mar Thoma Sabha Directory. (1999) Pub. The Publication Board of The Mar Thoma Church, Tiruvalla,
- Kerala, India.
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