Asia's Biggest Christian Convention Kicks off in Kerala

The Maramon Convention, Asia's biggest Christian convention, got underway in Maramon, Kerala on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 on the banks of the Pampa river. The week-long event will see around three million people attending and will be addressed by prominent evangelists from across the world.

Philipose Mar Chrysostum, senior metropolitan, of the Mar Thoma Church led the opening worship of the 117th edition of the convention. It is being held under the aegis of the Syrian Mar Thoma Church, headquartered at Thiruvalla, about 130 km from Thiruvananthapuram.

Maramon is situated on the banks of the Pampa river, about 20 km from Thiruvalla and the convention takes place on the river bed under a temporary shed made out of coconut leaves, which can seat a lakh of people.

"Arise, let us be going" is the theme for this year.

Prominent evangelists like Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana from South Africa, Rev Kang-San-Tan from Malaysia and Rev Martin Alphons from the US will be the main speakers.

A record three million believers from various Christian denominations are expected to visit the convention, which will be managed with no police or volunteers.

There would be three separate sessions daily with special sessions for women and men, besides a series of prayer and devotional music sessions.

The Mar Thoma community has nearly a million believers.

The week-long convention would also see a big crowd of Kerala politicians taking time off from their busy schedule to attend the convention.