This temple is affiliated to the SALIYA COMMUNITY, belonging to Kannancheri and living with a commom culture. In the light of the revelation made in the Swarnaprasnam, conducted in the year 1998 in the temple, the poojas on the seven important days such as THALAPPOLI and SIVARATHRIare performed by the PRIESTS belonging to the SALIYA COMMUNITY.
Pennu-kettu kalyanam otherwise known as THALIKETTU KALYANAM was an odd and old fashioned custom in vogue in the saliya community till 1962 and solemnized once in a blue moon with all its rites and splendour. It is customary for the karanavar of the temple to send invitations to his counter parts of the neighbouring streets such as Idimuzhikkal, Kadunganchira, Konnenattu, Neduva Pazhaya Theru, K. Puram, Pallickal, Tanur Ganapathy and Devi Temple to attend the ceremony. The girls of tender age varying from 5 years to 10 years along with their parents of 8 streets came to Kannanchery one or two days prior to the day of merriment and stayed in the residence of their relatives. Thus the Karanavar of the Kannanchery Maha Ganapathi Temple had the rare privilege to be the host at the exhilarating function. After performing the relevant rituals, the Karanavar placed the THALI-TIED sting on the neck of a girl and immediately took it back. This procedure is repeated on each such girl present there. The PENN-KETTU KALYANAM later deprived the bridegroom of the tying of the Thali on the bride at the time of marriage. At noon, a gorgeous and sumptuous food was supplied to the hundreds of the participants of the Saliya Community, attending the ceremony. The last Penn-Kettu Kalyanam conducted at Kannanchery was in the year 1962 and the memorable custom is now more or less extinct.
