The major festival in the Ettamanur temple is celebrated in the month of February-March or according to the Malayali concept it is celebrated in the Kumbham month. It lasts ten days and is a very major festival in Kerala, like Ashtami festival at Vaikom or utsavams at Haripad and Ambalapuzha. The finale of Ettamanur Temple festival like all Kerala temple festivals is the arattu festival on the last day which comes on Thiruvathira asterism. The eighth day is the most significant day of the festival, when devotees throng the temple in their thousands. Especially after midnight on that day there is `asthana mandapa` darshanam, when the Lord`s image is installed in a specially erected mandapa in the north-east corner. The mandapa is wonderfully decorated with flowers, leaves and red coconuts and the golden idol glitters amidst the lights.
Just in Vaikom where during Ashtami in Ettamanur also a large copper vessel is kept in front of the deity wherein devotees drop coins known as kanikka idal. Even misers are liberal in their offerings of cash on this occasion and in any case no one leaves after the darshan without making any offering.
A unique sight on the eighth and tenth day of the festival at Ettumanur is the exposition of the seven and half elephants of gold Ezhara ponnana. These elephants were offered to the deity by the then ruler of Travancore, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, as atonement for the destruction of temple property caused in his campaign to annexe territory after territory. These were made of gold weighing seven and half thulams. Each of the seven elephants is two feet high and the remaining one is of one foot only. Hence they are together called seven and half elephants. They are supposed to represent the guardians at the eight points (Ashtadikpalas).
The tradition was that if eight elephants were made, one had to be given to Ettonnesseri Illam. Therefore only seven and half elephants were got finished, seven of the same weight, height and size and the other as a baby elephant. A large number of people flock to the temple during festival days to see these golden elephants.
