Key facts
- On 29 December 2022 BJP workers protested at Fort Kochi beach, alleging that the face of the 65-foot Pappanji resembled Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Onmanorama.
- By 30 December 2022 the organisers had altered the effigy’s face and added a long white beard, Onmanorama reported.
- For New Year’s Eve 2023 an 80-foot Pappanji was burnt at Parade Ground with nearly 1,000 police on duty, according to The News Minute.
- On 27 December 2024 the Kerala High Court lifted a police ban on burning a second Pappanji at Veli Ground, subject to safety conditions, The South First reported.
- After former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh died in December 2024, the Carnival Committee cancelled the Parade Ground burning and the New Year’s Day rally, according to Onmanorama.
What the Pappanji is
The Cochin Carnival runs through the second half of December at Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, with rallies, sports, music and a closing night that draws crowds from across Kerala. At midnight on 31 December a towering figure of an old man, the Pappanji, is set alight to mark the end of the year. Onmanorama, in a December 2025 preview, said the word is taken to mean “grandfather” in Portuguese and that the custom is often traced to Fort Kochi’s Portuguese past.
The effigy is built by local clubs and artists over several weeks, usually on or near the beach or Parade Ground. Because it is large, public and finished only days before the event, its look has occasionally become a talking point. Our practical guide, Cochin Carnival and New Year’s Eve at Fort Kochi, covers getting there and back; this page is the record of recent years.
Timeline, 2022 to 2025
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Dec 2022 | BJP workers march to Fort Kochi beach and file a police complaint, alleging the 65-ft Pappanji’s face resembles PM Modi; organisers call the likeness coincidental | Onmanorama |
| 30 Dec 2022 | Organisers make minor changes to the face and add a long white beard | Onmanorama; The South First |
| 31 Dec 2022 | Overcrowding and poor transport on New Year’s Eve led to injuries and a near-stampede situation, as later described by The News Minute | The News Minute (1 Jan 2024) |
| 29 Dec 2023 | Fort Kochi sub-divisional magistrate issues conditions on the play “Gavarnarum Thoppiyum”; it is not staged as scheduled | The South First |
| 31 Dec 2023 | 80-ft Pappanji burnt at midnight at Parade Ground; nearly 1,000 police; ground divided into segments | The News Minute |
| 27 Dec 2024 | Kerala High Court lifts police ban on a second burning at Veli Ground, with conditions | The South First |
| 28 Dec 2024 | Carnival Committee cancels the Parade Ground burning and New Year rally after Manmohan Singh’s death; Veli burning allowed to go ahead | Onmanorama |
| 14 Dec 2025 – 1 Jan 2026 | Carnival programme announced, ending with the Pappanji burning on New Year’s night | Onmanorama preview |
2022: the row over the effigy’s face
On 29 December 2022, three days before the burning, local BJP activists marched to Fort Kochi beach, where artists were installing the 65-foot figure, and alleged that its face looked like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Onmanorama, the party also filed a complaint with the police, saying there was an attempt to insult the Prime Minister and to disturb the event. The organisers said any resemblance was coincidental. Former Kochi mayor K. J. Sohan, a key organiser, called the protest unwarranted, Onmanorama reported.
The police suggested changing the face, and the organisers agreed. By 30 December the effigy had been given altered features and a long white beard. The South First noted that BJP representatives also sit on the Carnival Committee, which includes members from several parties and government officials. The new face drew its own share of jokes online, but the burning went ahead on New Year’s Eve.
That night is remembered for crowding as much as for the effigy. Writing a year later, The News Minute said the previous New Year’s Eve had seen overcrowding and poor transport that led to injuries and a near-stampede situation. We found no official inquiry report into that night, so we record only what was published.
2023: a play halted and a tighter crowd plan
The 2023 carnival had its own dispute. On 29 December 2023, hours before a scheduled performance of the play “Gavarnarum Thoppiyum” (“the Governor and his Hat”), the sub-divisional magistrate of Fort Kochi issued an order after a complaint from a BJP ward leader in Mattancherry. The South First reported that the order required the title to be changed, the word “Governor” to be dropped from the dialogue and no imitation of anyone holding a constitutional post. The drama collective said the changes were unacceptable, and the play was not staged as scheduled.
The New Year’s Eve crowd management that year was noticeably more structured. The carnival came about five weeks after the CUSAT stampede of November 2023, though reports we read did not draw an official link. According to The News Minute, nearly 1,000 police personnel were deployed and Parade Ground was split into segments. The 80-foot Pappanji, dressed in green and blue and holding flowers, was burnt at midnight, and visitors had come from districts as far as Kannur and Kozhikode.
2024: a court case, then national mourning
For 2024 a club called Gala de Fort Kochi built a second Pappanji at Veli Ground. The police objected. Their notice, as reported by The South First, said Veli Ground was more than two kilometres from Parade Ground and that around 1,000 officers would already be needed at Parade Ground, so they might not be able to protect a second site. The club went to court, and on 27 December 2024 Justice Harisankar V. Menon of the Kerala High Court lifted the ban, with conditions including extra safety measures and at least 70 feet between the base of the effigy and the barricades. Reports gave the Veli effigy’s height as 50, 42 or 40 feet.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh died on 26 December 2024, and the Union government declared a period of national mourning. On 28 December Onmanorama reported that the Carnival Committee had cancelled the Pappanji burning at Parade Ground and the New Year’s Day rally, while the Veli Ground burning permitted by the High Court would still take place.
2025 and the pattern that has emerged
Onmanorama’s preview of the 2025 carnival listed a programme from 14 December 2025, starting at St Francis Church, to the early hours of 1 January 2026. It named Vasco da Gama Square, Pallath Raman Ground and Parade Ground as the main venues, said that more than one Pappanji is now burnt at different spots to spread the crowd, and warned of route closures and barricades on 31 December. As of October 2026 we had not found a detailed published account of police numbers for that night, so we do not give one.
- Two or more effigies have become the norm, which spreads crowds but stretches police cover, the issue argued in court in 2024.
- Late changes are common. In 2022 the effigy was altered two days before the event; in 2024 the main burning was cancelled four days before.
- Getting home is the hard part. The crowding of 2022 was blamed partly on transport. See our guide to getting around Kalamassery and the Kochi Water Metro’s history for the options that now exist.
Why this matters if you live near the NAD signal
Fort Kochi is a long trip from north Kalamassery, and New Year’s Eve plans there can change at short notice. Men staying at Ashraf Gents Hostel on NAD Road can treat this record as a planning aid: check the latest police notice before setting out and plan your return first. For more local history, browse the Kalamassery history archive or the Kalamassery in 2024 year page.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the Pappanji’s face changed in 2022?
BJP workers protested on 29 December 2022, alleging that the effigy resembled Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The organisers called it coincidental but, after police suggested a change, altered the face and added a white beard by 30 December, Onmanorama reported.
Was the Pappanji burnt on New Year’s Eve 2024?
The main burning at Parade Ground was cancelled because of national mourning for Manmohan Singh. The Veli Ground effigy, cleared by the Kerala High Court on 27 December 2024, was allowed to be burnt.
How many police are deployed at Fort Kochi on New Year’s Eve?
The News Minute reported nearly 1,000 police for 31 December 2023, and a 2024 police notice estimated about 1,000 would be needed at Parade Ground alone. Numbers change each year.
What happened to the play at the 2023 carnival?
A sub-divisional magistrate issued conditions on the play Gavarnarum Thoppiyum on 29 December 2023 after a complaint from a BJP leader. The drama collective called the changes unacceptable and the play was not staged as scheduled.
Where is the Pappanji burnt now?
Recent carnivals have burnt effigies at more than one place, including Parade Ground, Veli Ground and Vasco da Gama Square. Check that year’s official announcement.
Related guides
Sources
- Onmanorama: BJP sees Modi face in Cochin Carnival’s Pappanji (29 Dec 2022)
- Onmanorama: Fort Kochi’s Pappanji gets a face makeover after BJP objection (30 Dec 2022)
- The South First: Cochin Carnival won’t see Governor and his hat (29 Dec 2023)
- The News Minute: Fort Kochi’s Cochin Carnival sees huge turnout (1 Jan 2024)
- The South First: Kerala HC lifts ban on Pappanji burning at Fort Kochi’s two venues
- Onmanorama: Cochin Carnival celebrations cancelled after Manmohan Singh’s death (28 Dec 2024)
- Onmanorama: Cochin Carnival 2025 dates, events, venues and safety
Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed . How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.
Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Cochin Carnival’s Pappanji: The 2022–23 Controversy and Recent Years.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/cochin-carnival-pappanji-controversy/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.