Meenoottu : Fish, Prophecy & The Mannan King

Each year, the Mannan tribal community gathers for Meenoottu—a sacred river-based ritual that seeks protection from disease and blessings for the entire community. Held just three days after their major cultural celebration Kaalayoottu, Meenoottu is more than a ritual. It’s a spiritual gathering and an ecological dialogue rolled into one. Once performed across various sub-kingdoms of the Mannan region, Meenoottu is now practiced only at Kozhimala and Kumily. 

WATCH EPISODE ON MEENOOTTU

The Night of Prayer and Koothu

At Ayyapankovil in Kovilmala, the ritual begins the night before, where families and elders gather. The evening starts with Attu Mukund Vekuka, prayers and tributes offered to both the deities and the great ancestors of the community.

As dusk deepens into night, the place comes alive with Mannan Koothu—a traditional  dance-drama that narrates myths of Kannaki & Kovilan. This performance continues through the night until the early light of dawn. 

Raman Rajamannan at the event of Meenoottu at Ayyappankovil temple.

The Fish That Speaks to the King

As morning breaks, the ritual shifts to the banks of the Ayyapankovil river. Here, the community elders and ritual leaders prepare a sacred offering— made of rice, jaggery, and coconut—meant for the special fishes. 

After travelling to the river bank, the King offers the feed to the fishes with prayers. Initially a single sacred fish would appear first in the river from the waters, seemingly in response. It’s no ordinary fish. Mannans call them ‘Kuyil’ in the Mannan language and Katti in Malayalam. After further dialogue, it would be joined by a school of fish with markings—single, double, or triple lines—believed to signify the spirits of community leaders from different hierarchies. 

Once the fishes arrive, a ritual feeding takes place in three rounds. The first offering is made for the King and his family, the second for the community’s leaders, and the third for the people as a whole—each round symbolically reinforcing the layers of the Mannan social fabric.

Upon feeding the fishes, the King poses ritual questions to the fish—seeking insight into the health and future of the community. In response, the fish flares its gills or spreads its fins, a wide display is taken as a warning: of illness, loss, or impending death within the community.

Photo : Mannan King, Raman Rajamannan along with community leaders travelling to the river for feeding the fishes, in the event of Meenoottu.

Prayers : From Periyath Ayyapan to Kooshaduka

Following the river ceremony, the group walks to the nearby Ayyappan temple, where the Ayyapan deity—Periyathu Ayyappan to the Mannans—is honored. A coconut is broken before the idol, seeking further insight, and prayers continue in the sacred space. Symbolic tributes of coins are also offered at the temple. The ritual then flows into a community feast—a moment of togetherness, gratitude, and shared joy. 

The community then makes its way to the King’s residence for Kooshaduka, the concluding act of the ritual. Here, the King blesses each family clans one by one, sprinkling sacred water over the gathered families. Each household receives a small amount of the rice from the ritual—meant to be cooked later at home as a blessing for the days ahead.

Prayers offered to Periyath Ayyappan, by Mannan King, Raman Rajamannan and Kaanikkar alongside

Changes in Culture, Distance from Gods

But like many indigenous traditions, Meenoottu faces threats from modern changes. The construction of check dams has disrupted the flow of the river, affecting the flow of the fishes. Unsustainable fishing practices by people — including the use of explosives—have severely harmed the aquatic life tied to the ritual.

For the Mannan people, this is not just ecological loss—it’s spiritual displacement. When the fish vanish, so do the voices of their ancestors and the signs of the gods. Despite these challenges, the Mannan community continues to hold space for Meenoottu—against the currents of time, development, and silence. The ritual, with its prayers, fish, and blessings, remains a profound symbol of how people, nature, and belief can communicate meaningfully in harmony.

In a world that moves faster every day, Meenoottu is a reminder to pause, listen—to rivers, to memory, and to the quiet wisdom of those who still know how to speak with fish.

Photo : Scenes from Ayyapankovil Temple on the event of Meenoottu