The Maramon Convention, one of the largest Christian convention in Asia, is heldat Maramon , Pathanamthitta , Kerala, India annually in February on the vast sand-bed ofthe Pampa River next to the Kozhencherry Bridge. It is organised by Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, the missionary wing of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church .
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 during the reformation period in the Syrian Churches of Kerala under the pioneering leadership of Abraham Malpan in the latter part of the 19th century. This brought about the transformation in resurgence of the ancient apostolic Churches in Kerala founded by St. Thomas the Apostle approximately in AD 52.
By 1894, a number of small supportive prayer group communions emerged and this paved a way for revival They had regular meetings in various parishes. Because the number of people attending these meetings was growing; the need was addressed by deciding to have a meeting of these groups in a wider level at a central accessible place. This was a venue for dimensional spiritual edification that is applicable, biblically sound, ideal and value based for striving with the realities of the world and never a place for signs, wonders and miracles. During the 19th century, people began to occupy hilly places which resulted in felling of forests in and around the catchment area of Pampa river and started intensive cultivation of annual crops like tapioca, yams ... etc ] This unplanned encroachment resulted in large scale soil erosion. Deep river with mud was filled with white sand, which turned to be congenial place to assemble for a gathering of masses. No need for any seating arrangement as people can sit on the neat white sand bed under roofs made by knitted coconut leaves. Today the changing habitat and lesser focus on agriculture with rise of rubber plantation, the surfaced roads minimised soil erosion and a large scale sand mining for construction activities decreased the size of the sand bed to a great extent. The duty of organising this meeting was given to the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association and the first convention was held in 1895 at Maramon.
The first convention was held for 10 days from 8 to 17 March 1895 ] The venue was the vast sand-bed of the Pampa River next 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. 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.
Maramon Convention is held for eight days during the first half of February. TheConvention Pandal has a seating capacity in excess of 100,000 people. They are seated on the dry sand bed. Old and weak are given sponsored-paid chairs to sit on. There is also a smaller tent – Kuttipandal- erected next to the larger one for people with infants and with children below 5. All around the temporary tent there are prayer and rest sheds and other tents for various purposes related to the Church. Stalls for the sale of religious literature and other items, church mission advertisement and funding offices and restaurants are allowed to operate in the vicinity of the tent under the control of the convention authorities.
