Kerala is 'God's own country' located in the southwestern part of India. Furthermore, the geographical location of Kerala makes it the most favoured tourist attraction in Asia and also the various festivals of kerala highlights the glimpse of the state .
Even more, National Geographic Traveller selected Kerala among the 50 destinations of a lifetime. Also, it is one of the 13 paradises in the world.
Kerala's main attractions are its exotic wildlife, peaceful beaches, balanced climate, serene stretches of backwaters & lush green hill stations. Additionally, most tourist destinations within Kerala are located at a distance of two to four hours from each other.
The cultural marvels of Kerala surely will mesmerise you. It includes classical art forms, tropical cuisine & not to mention, and colourful festivals.
Moreover, Kerala has mastered the ancient Indian medicine system of Ayurveda & Panchakarma. This makes it a medical tourism destination in India as well.
The year-old balanced climate makes sure seasons never end in Kerala; neither do its events or festivals.Keralites are simple, down-to-earth people who give importance to education, hygiene & health. Usually, they speak Malayalam & are referred to as Malayalees.
Not to mention, the natives are quite proud of their cultural heritage & protective of traditional practices, rituals & culture. Thereby, Kerala hosts several festivals every year to celebrate its simple life. Even during the celebrations, they follow a simple dress code and don't believe in showing off.
Men & women usually wear traditional clothes while the younger generation follows fashion & wears anything.In this article let's take a look at the festivals of kerala occurring in the region.
Onam
Onam is the most popular as well as the most important festival in Kerala. Another name for Onam is Thiruonam & it is a harvest festival.
The celebrations occur every year at the beginning of the month Chingam of the Malayalam calendar. Furthermore, it marks the return of the demon king Mahabali who sacrificed his life for his subjects.
The celebration of Onam carries on for ten days out of which four days are important with their significance. The most important among them is the day of Thiruonam.
The celebration begins ten days before Thiruonam & people decorate streets and houses with flowers. This decoration is Pookalam and people also buy new clothes, exchange gifts, or visit temples.
Additionally, the celebrations include cultural activities such as Pulikali, Kummati kali, tug of war, and Atthachamayam. Moreover, Sadya, or the lunch of Thiruonam is the most important part of the celebrations in which devotees prepare approximately 26 dishes and serve on leaves.
Usually, Onam takes place in the months of August-September according to the Gregorian calendar. The date for the year 2022 is on September 22nd.
Here is some famous Festivals of kerala
Vishu
Vishu is the New Year celebration for the Keralites and one of the most important celebrations of the state. It occurs during the month of Medam according to the Malayalam calendar.
Additionally, neighbouring regions of Kerala such as Tulunadu, Udupi, and Mangalore also celebrate Vishu. The most important aspect of the festival is Vishukani.
It is the first thing devotees witness in the morning which includes items like yellow cucumber, gold, coconut, and a mirror. Not to forget, white cloth, lamp and an idol or image of Lord Krishna also add up to the list.
Gold coins or golden colour is important for the festival rituals. Also Kanikonna, a yellow flower, is included on the list in Vishukani & it brings prosperity & luck.
Vishu Kaineetam is another important tradition of the festival by which the elders of the family give money to the children. After the completion of these rituals, the devotees enjoy Sadya, or the feast.
Further, the celebration ends in the evening with a massive display of firecrackers.
Vishu celebration takes place all across Kerala & normally occurs on the 14th, 15th, or 16th of April.
Thrissur Pooram
The biggest temple festival in Kerala is Thrissur Pooram. It occurs on the day when the moon shines alongside the Pooram star.
Moreover, the Vadakkunnathan temple located in Thrissur hosts the festival in the month of Medam according to the Malayalam calendar. The significance of this festival is to honour Lord Shiva and the tradition has been ongoing for the last 200 years at least.
This traditional ritual carries on for 36 hours approximately, showcasing the rich musical culture of Kerala.
Thrissur Pooram is vibrant to the utmost. Celebrations start seven days before the main program with Kodiyettam or the ceremonial flag hoisting.
Additionally, devotees from ten temples around the region visit the Vadakkunnathan temple during the festival. The two main participants of the festival are Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple and Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple.
The procession is a sight to behold with over 50 decorated elephants marching the streets accompanied by around 80 drums.
Not to forget, the display of colourful umbrellas you get to see during the festival occurring in April every year. The ritual also ends with a massive display of fireworks lasting for approximately 3 hours.
Thiruvathira
Another name for Thiruvathira is Thiruvathirai or Arudra Darisanam. This festival also honours Lord Shiva and for some, it is to remember the demise of Kamadeva, the God of love.
Moreover, this celebration has occurred for the past 1500 years approximately. Then again, the celebration is a temple festival and not much happens in the houses.
Not to mention, it is largely a festival for women. That includes fasting partially for unmarried women searching for good partners.
On the other hand, married women fast from the day before for good health & well being of their partners.
Moreover, different communities carry out their rituals according to their instructions. That includes hymns and folk songs and traditional dances.
Thereby, on the day of Thiruvathira women perform Thiruvathirakali, a dance form. Usually, the festival occurs during December or January i.e. in the month of Dhanu according to the Malayalam calendar.
Theyyam Festival
Theyyam festival is approximately 800 years old and occurs mainly in the Kolathunadu region in north Malabar. Moreover, Tulunadu and Kodagu in Karnataka also celebrate Theyyam.
It is a form of spiritual worship showcasing art and over 400 types of Theyyam dances. Usually, the performers of Theyyam belong to the lower caste of the community and dress up like deities while performing.
The venue for the dance performance is usually the local village shrine or while ancestors are worshipping in the house. Another name for it is 'dance of Gods' since it enacts mythological stories.
Additionally, the performance lasts 12 to 24 hours approximately. There are different segments to the performance alongside the various stages of learning.
In the end, devotees get turmeric powder as a token of blessing. The Theyyam festival occurs between April & December every year and is a treat for your eyes and soul.
Attukal Pongala
Attukal Pongala brings women of all cultures and castes together in the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram. Moreover, this festival has the Guinness record of hosting the largest number of women's gatherings every year.
The festival goes on for ten days while the ninth day is the most important. During this time, women across Kerala visit the temple and pay their respect to the goddess Kannaki.
Additionally, you can enjoy a musical presentation on the first day of the festival performed by traditional families. This performance goes on till the ninth day.
Hymns, bhajan, and classical and folk music are included in the performances. On the ninth day, women across the state visit the temple dressed in their best.
Furthermore, they cook Pongala, a sweet dish with rice, ghee, jaggery, banana & coconut, and offer it to Goddess Kannaki. Attukal in Thiruvananthapuram hosts the Pongala festival every year between February and March.
Christmas
The celebration of Christmas in Kerala is a mix of Indian, Western, and Syrian traditions. The Christian population in Kerala amounts to almost a quarter of its total population.
Therefore, Christmas is a popular festival in Kerala. The celebration includes decorating the homes, shopping & preparing delicacies.
Christianity reached India's doorsteps with St. Thomas landing in Muziris, present-day Kodungallur in 52 AD. Eventually, it spread to present-day celebrations by buying new clothes to exchange gifts.
People attend Christmas mass & midnight mass, prepare homemade wine, and plum cake, and cook traditional dishes. Not to mention, the hymns, Christmas carols & Santa Claus ignites the festive mood.
Moreover, people in Kerala started cooking turkey for Christmas in recent days as well. Keralites celebrate Christmas all across Kerala on the 25th of December every year.
Makaravilakku festival
Makaravilakku is located on the top of a rugged hill in the Western Ghats & is a pilgrimage site. Thousands of pilgrims gather here to observe the lamp that glows on the mountain ranges & the Makara Jyothi star appearing in the evening.
It is the annual festival that Kerala hosts on Makar Sankranti at the shrine of the Sabarimala temple. Furthermore, anyone can join the pilgrimage despite their cast and colour.
Devotees go through various hardships before starting the pilgrimage. They wear black or deep blue dhotis i.e. the traditional Kerala wear.
Furthermore, they carry traditional offerings like rice, camphor, and coconuts filled with ghee in cloth bundles over their head. Usually, this is a festival for men but female devotees who didn't attend puberty or are past their menopausal age can also attend.
This is because the deity of the temple is eligible. Makaravilakku festival takes place during January every year.
Arattu at Trivandrum
Arattu which is the holy bath & Pallivetta i.e. the royal hunt are two of the major rituals in Kerala. Moreover, the celebration at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a special celebration for the people of Thiruvananthapuram.
Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a massive temple in the heart of the city with a 100 feet tower. The presiding deity here is Lord Vishnu lying on the serpent Anantha. However, only Hindus can access this temple.
Arattu is the procession to take the idol of the shrine to a bath in the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram. Moreover, it is unique here as the head of the royal family of the Travancore kingdom escorts the idols during the procession.
Furthermore, during Pallivetta he shoots a coconut using a bow and arrow. This signifies the hunting down of demons as lord Vishu did. The ritual of Pallivetta takes place on the evening of Arattu.
The procession of Arattu takes place in the late afternoon. The head of the royal family escorts the images of Sree Padmanabhaswamy, Sree Narasimha, and Sree Krishna to the Shanghumukham.
Thereby, rituals and traditions are practised and after the bath, the images are restored in the temple.
Arattu celebration occurs twice a year. One is during the spring festival from March to April and the other is the autumn festival from October to November.
Ambalapuzha Arattu
This festival is a 10-day-long celebration in the Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna temple. The temple hosts the festival in the month of Meenam according to the Malayalam calendar.
Furthermore, the celebrations begin with the traditional flag hoisting or Kodiyettam on the eighth asterism & end with Arattu.
Notably, the procession includes several decorated elephants from the 2nd day itself. Furthermore, instrumental music and performances of native martial art or Velakali accompany the procession.
Devotees enjoy the famous Ambalapuzha Nadakashala Sadya, the ritualistic feast on Pallivetta day. This festival occurs during March and April every year and draws a huge number of devotees as well as tourists.
Adoor Gajamela
This festival is also a ten-day across annual celebration. The Parthasarathy temple in Adoor hosts the festival.
The procession ceremony includes the parade of nine mighty tusked elephants decorated to the utmost. A huge crowd of devotees and visitors assemble in the procession.
Moreover, it is a sight to behold the elephants clad in beautiful, ornamental, gorgeous attires. The procession further stages traditional music and instruments, Ottamthullal, and various other cultural programs of Kerala.
It is also the most visited place among all the sites of the Pathanamthitta district.
Adoor Gajamela is on the tenth day of the festival. The nine majestic elephants march from the Parthasarathy temple to the Chennapatti temple i.e. approximately 3 km. from Adoor.
Moreover, the festival signifies the tale of Sree Krishna and Arjuna. Usually, the temple authorities decide the time of the festival according to the Malayalam calendar. The festival occurs from January to February generally.
Kodungallur Bharani Utsavam
This festival also occurs during the month of Meenam according to the Malayalam calendar. Kodungallur Bhagawati, the grand temple of Thrissur, hosts the festival.
Furthermore, the festival signifies goddess Bhadrakali's victory over Daarika the demon. Thereby, devotees offer prayers and honour Bhadrakali for saving humans from demons.
The celebration carries on for three days and if you compare it to other Kerala temples the traditions here are a bit different. It includes blood and is a bit extreme and not for the faint-hearted.
Likewise, a sacrifice of cocks in the ritual Kozhikal moodal and offering its blood to the deity also occurs.
Moreover, the celebrations begin after the local king arrives at the temple. He is the temple keeper & raises a red silk umbrella as a sign to begin the festival.
This leads thousands of men, women, and spiritualists to run to the temple wielding sticks or swords in a state of frenzy. Additionally, the devotees abuse in the native language and wear red clothes.
Komarams are the subjects and Kaavu Thendal is the ritual. Also, the subjects strike their forehead with sharp objects and the temple structure with sticks.
Furthermore, they hurl the offerings for the deity from over the roof. Thereafter, they seek blessing from the king.
The subjects also sing songs & dance in groups and after the rituals are complete the temple closes for cleaning & purification. This festival takes place between March and April every year.
Kerala Boat Festivals
Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha hosts the world-famous Nehru trophy boat race festival of Kerala. The boat races take place in the backwaters of Kerala in the swelling rain.
Among many races, the Nehru trophy boat race is the most famous. Also, the Champakulam boat race needs special mention Furthermore, the snake boat race steals the show. Another name for the snake boat is Chundan Vallam or Anjili Thadi.
These are about 100 to 200 foot – long magnificent canoes made of wood. Moreover, it carries around 100 rowers and moves like a snake in the backwaters.
Originally used as war boats these are the biggest water vessels in the world used for sports purposes today. Additionally, there is a boat song the participants sing during the race which is Vanchipattu. It is a form of Malayalam poetry they recite.
The race or Vallam Kali in other words is about endurance and expertise and not only speed. Not to mention, it takes a massive level of practice for a participant to enrol for this test.
The Nehru Trophy boat race takes place on the second Saturday of August every year on the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha.
On the other hand, the Champakulam boat race, one of the oldest snake boat races in the world takes place according to the Malayalam calendar. Usually, it falls between June and July each year.
Payippad Jalotsavam
The Payippad boat race takes place in the Onam season as per the Malayalam calendar. It is in the month of Chingam.
Moreover, this is a unique race that goes on for three days. Payippad village of Veeyapuram at the convergence of the rivers Achankovil and Pampa hosts the race in the backwaters.
The Payippad boat race takes place on the Payippad River which is a tributary of the Achankovil River. Furthermore, it is a major tourist attraction as a lot of local people, as well as tourists, visit the village during this time.
Not to mention the Payippad event has the largest number of participants right after the Nehru Trophy race. The race occurs in September every year.
Conclusion
As you have read about the festivals of kerala .Thereby, you can see how vibrantly beautiful the culture and traditions of Kerala are. Kerala prospers with its simple living and high thinking.
You can spot Keralites in their spotless white attires not only to find their clothes clean; but also a clean heart pure of love is what they offer you. That calls for a perfect opportunity to visit the state during the festive seasons. So you must mark your calendar.
Furthermore, the season of festivals never ends in God's own country ever. The above-listed few are just the tip of the iceberg and several remain unmentioned.
Notably, Attuvela Mahotsavam, Chettikulangara Bharani, Machattu Mamangam, Thirunakkara Arattu, and Kalpathi Ratholsavam However, the high spirited simple lifestyle of Kerala and its enthusiastic approach to life keeps the festivals in Kerala alive.
Moreover, the festivals help to bring all the aspects of society to come together as one. Thereby, the festivals of Kerala are successful in uniting its population.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How many festivals are there in Kerala?
There are approximately 12 major festivals in Kerala. The most important and biggest is Onam.
Kerala also celebrates Adoor Gajamela, Attuvela Mahotsavam, Chettikulangara Bharani, Machattu Mamangam, Thirunakkara Arattu, Kalpathi Ratholsavam, Eid ul Fitr, and Christmas.
Q2. What is the famous festival of Kerala?
Onam is the most popular and most important festival in Kerala. It is the harvest festival taking place at the beginning of the month of Chingam according to the Malayalam calendar.
Another name for Onam is Thiruonam. It takes place in the months of August-September as per the Gregorian calendar.
Q3. What is the famous food festival of Kerala?
Onam is the most famous food festival in Kerala. Not to mention, it is during Onam you get to taste the best delicacies of Kerala.
The traditional vegetarian lunch, Onasadhya is among the main attractions of the festival. Devotees prepare approximately 26 dishes in this course and serve them on leaves.