đ„ AgniaadhanamâSomayagam at        Elangalloor Mana
- Event Duration: April 28 to May 4, 2025
- Location: Elangalloor Mana, Chiraykkakkod, Thrissur, Kerala
- Organized by: Peruvanam Grama Sabha
đż Key Rituals and Ceremonies
- Soma Plant Reception: Begins April 27 with a ceremonial procession starting from Kachamkurissi Temple in Kollengode.
- Route: Includes stops at Mudikkode Shiva Temple, Thiruvanikavu Bhagavathi Temple, Vadakkunnathan Temple, and Paramekkavu Temple.
- Main Rituals:
- Agniaadhanam: Fire ritual marking the start of the event.
- Somayagam: Vedic ritual where Soma juice is offered as the main oblation.
đ§ââïž Key Figures
- Yajnacharyan (Chief Priest): Madhavan Namboothiri of Kizhakkedath
- Agnyaadhanam Yajamanan: Mithun Namboothiri from Vellamparambu
- Somayagam Yajamanan: Vasudevan Adithirippad from Aroor
- Event Coordinator: Sadanandan Namboothiri of Elangalloor Mana
(Above) and (Below) The sacred plant's journey from Kachamkurissi Temple, Kollengode, to Elangaloor Mana - in an elaborately decorated parade float
The Soma Yagam at Elangalloor, Apr 2025, through the eyes of a Western Scholar
Sights, sounds and text from the Instagram reels of Dr Finnian M.M Gerety, who was fortunate enough to be at Elangalloor at the time of the Soma Yaga
Academic Background
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, Brown University (2018-2024)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Sacred Music, Yale University (2017-18)
PhD. in South Asian Studies, Harvard University (2015)
“Maybe youâve heard of Vedic soma, often described as one of the worldâs oldest plants used in sacred ceremonies (sic). We still canât say with certainty what soma wasâmaking this one of the great unsolved mysteries in the history of religions.
SoâŠwhat is soma? @jmchugh108 makes the point that âevery generation gets the soma it deserves.â In other words, cultural trends in the present inform hypotheses about soma in the past.
 Instead of focusing on botanical clues and arguments … I suggest that we examine the ancient rituals that soma always accompaniedâespecially the Sanskrit mantras chanted while under the influence of this plant-based … brew.
The soma used hereâas elsewhere in contemporary Indiaâis the cynanchum acidum creeper, known as somalatÄ in Ayurvedic medicine. A delegation travels to collect it from Kollengode on the day before the sacrifice. This plant differs from the Vedic soma plant of early India, which was likely psychoactive if not psychedelic.”
“Even though soma has changed, the ritual implements and vessels have remained more or less the same. They are made by local artisans from ceramic and wood based on traditional designs. Each wooden vessel needs to fashioned from a single piece of a particular kind of tree”.
The climax of the soma sacrifice: Agni, God of fire, makes his presence known. The Nambudiri priests burn the entire yagashala as the final offering.
Agnaye idam na mama âThis is for Agni, not for meâ is one of the most frequently chanted mantras at the soma sacrifice. It accompanies the myriad offerings of soma, butter, milk, etc. on the days previous.
