Kerala Kumbh: Camouflaging Politics Under Ritual?

Thirunavaya, a small village in Kerala’s Malappuram district, was once the capital of the Perumbadappu Swaroopam, which later evolved into the Kingdom of Kochi. It occupies a distinctive place in Kerala’s history—not only as the site of the ancient Navamukunda Temple, but also as the stage for Mamangam, a grand festival held once every 12 years on the banks of the Bharata Puzha.

Mamangam was a dramatic confluence of commerce, ritual, and power. Traders gathered alongside priests and chieftains, even as rivalry and bloodshed formed an integral part of the spectacle. The festival was conducted under the authority of the Zamorin, whose kingdom extended across large parts of present-day central and northern Kerala. During Mamankam, those who challenged the Zamorin’s supremacy are said to have sent suicide attackers who fought the king’s forces in a ritualised display of resistance. According to legend, the attackers were slaughtered, and their bodies dumped into nearby wells—an act meant to assert the absolute dominance of the ruler.

Both the kingdom and the Mamangam disappeared centuries ago. Yet, on the banks of the Bharata Puzha, history is being summoned once again. A group of Hindu seers has now sought to rekindle Mamangam by organising what they describe as the “Kerala Kumbh Mela.” The event, which began on Monday, has triggered political and social unease. Statements made by some of the seers have already laid bare the political undertones of the exercise, raising concerns that history is being repurposed—not as memory or scholarship, but as a pawn in a contemporary ideological project.

Swami Anandavanam Bharathi, a Mahamandaleshwar—a senior spiritual leader—of the Juna Akhara, one of the most influential monastic orders associated with the Kumbh Mela, is the central figure behind what the organisers describe as the Mahamagha Mahotsavam, or the Kerala version of the Kumbh Mela. “After the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh, we decided to organise a Kumbh to regain Kerala’s ancient glory,” Bharathi said, framing the event as a spiritual revival akin to a historic Kerala Kumbh.

The event gained wider public attention after the organisers criticised the local panchayat authorities for issuing a stop memo on the construction of a makeshift bridge across the river. Officials cited violations of existing rules, and though permission was later granted, the temporary denial became a flashpoint. Some individuals associated with the event made communally charged remarks, targeting Muslims, prompting concerns about the underlying intent of the mela.

Local MLA K. Moideen of the Indian Union Muslim League acknowledged administrative lapses but cautioned against politicisation. “The denial of permission for the temporary bridge allowed the organisers to use the issue communally. That was a mistake on the part of the government,” he said. “There may be political motives behind organising such events—I do not know—but devotees come for spiritual reasons. It is the duty of the system to provide facilities and ensure their safety. Malappuram is a place where different faiths have coexisted for centuries,” he says

While organisers insist the mela is purely spiritual, several observers remain unconvinced. Historian Dr K. N. Ganesh views the event as part of a broader political project. “Since the BJP came to power, Kumbh Melas have increasingly been used as ideological campaign tools of Hindutva. What we are seeing now is an attempt to replicate this at a national scale, unfolding in Kerala,” he said. Ganesh also points to the deliberate invocation of Mamangam and the Zamorin era. “Mamangam was conducted by the Zamorin to assert and defend political conquests. History is now being repurposed to advance Hindutva’s political ambitions—projected as a symbolic conquest of ‘secular Kerala’, that too by staging the event in a Muslim-majority region.”

Although the BJP has not officially associated itself with the event, Sangh Parivar organisations have actively amplified it on social media, lending it a political edge. The inauguration of the mela by Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar has further reinforced perceptions of political endorsement.

Author P. N. Gopikrishnan situates the event within a longer ideological trajectory. “This must be seen as part of a larger political design,” he said. “For Hindutva to take root, it requires the Hinduisation of politics first. The Kumbh Mela is a tool for that. Tilak did something similar with Ganesh Utsav, linking it to nationalism and anti-colonial mobilisation. The Sangh Parivar has tried multiple strategies to Hinduise politics in Kerala but has failed to achieve a decisive breakthrough. The Kumbh Mela must be read in that context. For Hindutva to expand, first comes the Hinduisation of politics, followed by the militarisation of Hindus.”

The authorities have made elaborate arrangements to facilitate devotees attending the mela. Special bus services have been deployed, and extensive security measures put in place. Nine tahsildars have been assigned to oversee administrative and security arrangements in the area.

Author P. P. Shanavas urges against viewing the event through a purely political lens. “Thirunavaya has immense historical significance, and what is happening here should not be seen negatively,” he said. “Mamangam existed even before the Zamorins. Centuries ago, scholars from Thirunavaya and its surrounding regions gathered here to debate astronomy and other disciplines. This place was also a centre of Buddhism and Jainism. We should not be prejudiced by contemporary developments; we should approach this with a sense of historical continuity and openness.”

Yet history, particularly in recent years, has increasingly become a political battleground. The repurposing of the past and its placement within new ideological frames often carries political intent. The decision to stage the ‘Kerala Kumbh’ in a Muslim-majority region has further sharpened the optics surrounding the event.

On the ground, however, local voices strike a more pragmatic note, echoing MLA K. Moideen's view. Regardless of any political motives that may lie behind the organisation of an event unfamiliar to Kerala’s cultural landscape, the devotees who arrive in Thirunavaya seek spiritual fulfilment. “All arrangements must be in place to help them,” said a Muslim resident living in the area.    “If the event concludes peacefully, it will once again help dispel the canards that are often spread about Malappuram district simply because it is a Muslim-majority region,” he said.