Onam (also known as\u00a0Thiruvonam) is the state festival of Kerala, observed by all its citizens, irrespective of caste, creed or community. It is a harvest festival\u00a0celebrated once a year during\u00a0the Malayalam month of Chingom (August-September). Onam is traditionally celebrated with much joy and fervour.<\/p>\n Some of the celebrations include creating a Pookalam (an extravagant\u00a0arrangement of colourful flowers), visiting temples, feasting on an elaborate meal served on plantain leaves, gifting others with new clothes, participating in boat races held on the backwaters, a variety of sporting events and even Pulikkali (a\u00a0tiger dance).<\/p>\n Vishu<\/strong><\/p>\n Vishu is an auspicious festival celebrated by Hindus on the first day of the Malayalum month of Medam (April-May). Vishu is hailed as the beginning of a new year by residents of Kerala. The most significant ritual observed during Vishu is\u00a0the Kani Kanal\u00a0(meaning\u00a0‘first sight’), as\u00a0it is believed that the fortunes of the upcoming year depend on what object is\u00a0seen first on the morning of Vishu.<\/p>\n Another practice is Vishu Kaineettam, where money is gifted to the younger members of each family. The entire family joins in for a mid day feast (Sadya) and then ends the day’s celebration with a dazzling display of fireworks.<\/p>\n Christmas<\/strong><\/p>\n Easter<\/strong><\/p>\n Easter\u00a0is celebrated worldwide to signify the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the Christians in Kerala account for about 23% of the state’s population, Easter is observed with the same fervour as in the west\u00a0and is marked by four distinct periods.<\/p>\n The first is Lent\u00a0where one undergoes a 40 day fast, giving up something they value for the entire period. Then comes the Holy Week consisting of the 4 days leading up to the Easter Sunday. Next is the Octave of Easter (the period of traditional Baptism) and it finally ends with the paschal season that extends for another 40 days more.<\/p>\n Ramadan<\/strong><\/p>\n Ramadan is an important festival observed by Musims to commemorate the day when the Holy Quran was sent by Allah, to serve as a counsel for men in 615 AD. Ramadan is a month long festival observed earnest prayers, and fasting from to food to purify the body and soul, and become closer to God. This period of fasting ends when the crescent moon becomes\u00a0visible on the western horizon. As\u00a0Ramdan ends, Id-Ul-Fitr (the feast of fast-breaking) commences and is celebrated for 3 days.<\/p>\n Bakrid<\/strong><\/p>\n Bakrid\u00a0is a\u00a0festival of sacrifice observed by Muslims commemorate\u00a0the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim, who voluntarily killed his son at God\u2019s command. The event is celebrated by sacrificing an animal (usually a goat), followed by prayers at the mosques, grand feasts and merry-making. Muslims wear new garments, visit each other\u2019s homes\u00a0and exchange good wishes. The greeting of\u00a0Thakhir (Allahu Akbar)\u00a0is heard all around as everyone\u00a0asserts\u00a0their belief that God is great.<\/p>\n Muharram<\/strong><\/p>\n Muharram is observed by Muslims to mourn\u00a0the martyrdom of Imam Hussain\u00a0(Prophet Mohammed’s grandson) who died in the bloody massacre at Karbala in 680 AD. There is a period of fasting, and then glittery Taziyas (tombs made of\u00a0bamboo and paper to replicate Hussain\u2019s tomb) are created and carried out into the city streets. Huge processions follow these taziyas and people are seen beating their chests mourning the slaying of Hussain. At the end of the procession, devotees end their fast and give away clothes, food and money to the poor and the downtrodden.<\/p>\n Miladi Sheriff<\/strong><\/p>\n Miladi Sheriff is celebrated by the Muslims as the birthday of Mohammed\u00a0who was\u00a0the prophet of Allah. In Kerala, it is observed by reciting the\u00a0Moulood, a short biography of the prophet written in Arabic. For\u00a0the first twelve days, lectures are arranged where Muslim Ulemas deliver religious sermons and share about the life of Prophet Muhammad. The celebrations also include giving away food to poor people and other charitable activities arranged by individual Muslim communities.<\/p>\n Maha Shivratri This festival is observed\u00a0by Hindus who offer prayers to Lord Shiva, the God of destruction. According to Hindu the mythology, it was on Shivratri (meaning, the night of Shiva) that he performed the Tandava Nritya –\u00a0the dance of primeval creation, preservation and demolition.<\/p>\n Here in Kerala, Sivarathri is celebrated in the month of Kumbham (February-March)\u00a0with all day fasts, reciting the\u00a0Panchakshara mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” and singing hymns praising\u00a0Lord Shiva. The crux of the Sivarathri celebration is at\u00a0the Siva Temple at Aluva, on the banks of the Periyar river. There is a Siva Lingom (idol) that emerges out of the sand on the river bank that attracts thousands of pilgrims.<\/p>\n Deepavali<\/strong><\/p>\n Deepavali, also called Diwali means ‘a row of lights’ in Sanskrit and is celebrated by Hindus all over India as the festival of lights. In Kerala, Deepavali is observed on the day before the new moon in the Malayalam month of Thulam (October-November).<\/p>\n Deepavali is a celebration of God Sree Krishna’s triumph over the demon Narakasura. The Tamil communities in Kerala begin their celebrations early in the morning with a ritual oil bath before sunrise. This is immediately followed by consuming a concoction of jaggery and dry ginger.<\/p>\n The celebrations\u00a0include wearing festive garments,\u00a0distributing special sweets, bursting firecrackers and a watching the\u00a0colorful fireworks lighting up the sky. Homes\u00a0are lit up with clay oil lamps and the sparkling lights dazzle every neighborhood during Deepavali.<\/p>\n Navaratri<\/strong><\/p>\n Navaratri is a Hindu festival that literally means\u00a0‘nine nights’. During these nine nights, female dieties –\u00a0Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped as the three different manifestations of cosmic energy. The celebration begins\u00a0after the Mahalaya Amavasya and ends\u00a0with Vijaya Dasami or Dassara. The triumph of good over evil is celebrated on the tenth day of Navratri, with the burning of an\u00a0effigy of Ravana and the bursting of crackers. All the celebrations include feasting on mouthwatering sweets and crunchy savoury snacks.<\/p>\n Now lets check out the popular temple festivals in Kerala. They are colorful and people from all parts of the country, even from abroad, come to see these events.<\/p>\n Arattu at Thiruvananthapuram<\/strong><\/p>\n The Arattu of Lord Padmanabha is held during the Painkuni festival at\u00a0Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. The arattu refers to a holy bath, where the dieties are taken in a ceremonial procession to Shanghumugham beach.\u00a0The King of Travancore, also accompanies the procession as the vassal of Sri Padmanabha Swamy.<\/p>\n Ambalapuzha Arattu<\/strong><\/p>\n Ambalapuzha Arattu is a\u00a0temple festival celebrated at the Sri Krishna Swamy Temple at Ambalapuzha. The temple enshrines Ambalappuzha Unnikannan \u2013 Lord Krishna as a baby. The celebrations last for 10 days and the Arattu is conducted on the final day –\u00a0Thiruvonam Nakshatram.<\/p>\n Aranmula Uthrattathi<\/strong> The Aranmula Uthrittathi is celebrated with a ritual boat race held during the Onam festival. Legend has it that a boat carrying offerings to the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple was under attacked by enemies. People from the neighboring areas sent their snake boats to protect it. This has now evolved into a snake boat race, presented as an offering\u00a0to\u00a0Lord Parthasarathy.<\/p>\n Attukal Pongala Image by Seema Krishnakumar <\/a>via Flickr<\/p>\n Attukal Pongala (also known as the Sabrimala of women) is considered the largest congregation of women in the world. Women all over the city cook their offerings and bring it to the\u00a0Attukal temple. ‘Payasam’ –\u00a0a\u00a0sweet dish made with\u00a0rice, jaggery and banana is an integral part of this offering.<\/p>\n Adoor Gajamela<\/strong><\/p>\n An annual 10 day long celebration is held at the Parthasarathy Temple in Adoor, and the Adoor Gajamela is the highlight of it. Nine elephants in their ceremonial attire are paraded,\u00a0as hundreds of\u00a0visitors throng the temple gates to witness the regal spectacle.<\/p>\n Kuthiyottam and Kettukazhcha<\/strong><\/p>\n Chittoor Konganpada<\/strong><\/p>\n Konganpada is celebrated in the Bhagavathy temple at Chittur in the month of Kumbhom (February-March). It is meant to commemorate the victory of the Nairs of Chittur over the militia of Konganadu (Coimbatore) which the\u00a0Goddess Bhagavathy is believed to have orchestrated.<\/p>\n Chottanikkara Makam<\/strong><\/p>\n Image by\u00a0Roney Maxwell<\/a> – via Flickr<\/p>\n Chottanikkara Makam is an auspicious day observed at the Chottanikkara\u00a0Bhagavathy\u00a0Temple. The Murti of Goddess Bhagavathy\u00a0is given a ritual bath, after which it\u00a0is accompanied by Lord Shastha and eleven elephants to an open ground until noon. The deity is clothed in regal attire and adorned with jewels. It is also believed that prayers offered during this time will be answered.<\/p>\n Ettumanoor Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n The Ettumanoor festival is celebrated in an ancient Siva temple about 12 Km North-East of Kottayam. The arattu festival of this temple is celebrated annually in a grand fashion on the Thiruvathira day in Kumbham. Multitudes flock to the temple on the 8th and 10th day of the festival when seven and a half elephants made of gold are displayed for public view.<\/p>\n Guruvayoor Festival<\/strong> The Guruvayur festival begins on the day of Pushya in the month of Kumbham (February-March), and culminates with the Aarattu on the 10th day. The rituals are served to\u00a0purify and energize the\u00a0deity’s powers. The cultural\u00a0festivities include a variety of processions, bright lights, decorative arches and non-explosive fireworks. Homes are freshly painted and buildings are decorated with lights, plantain trunks, coconut bunches and arecanuts.<\/p>\n Haripad Temple Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n The Thaipooyam Festival is a one-day affair held at the Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple. Devotee carry kavadis (decorated wooden arches) on their shoulders and perform a ritualistic dance called\u00a0Kavadiyattom as they\u00a0proceed to the temple. Some devotees also pierce their cheeks with long arrows and perform a tantric dance as an offering to the gods.<\/p>\n Kanathurkava Uthsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n The Kanathurkavu Temple in the heart of Kannur\u00a0celebrates its annual festival in April each year. Thousands throng the premises to witness the\u00a0Theyyattom\u00a0– a\u00a0dance ritual of\u00a0the Goddess Mahadevi.<\/p>\n Kappally Kumbham Thira<\/strong><\/p>\n The Kappally temple conducts its annual Thira festival between the\u00a03rd and\u00a013th days of Kumbham (February-March) every year. The 12th day is considered the most important day of the festival.<\/p>\n Kodiyettu Uthsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n The Kodiyettu Utsavam is a festival\u00a0dedicated to the Goddess Bhagavathy, celebrated in memory of the temple’s consecration. It commences on the Makayiram day in Vrischikam (November-December) and ends on the Uthram day.<\/p>\n Kodungallur Bharani Utsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n Koodalmanikyam Utsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n The historic Koodalmanickam temple situated in the Manavalassery village is an architectural masterpiece. The deity, Sree Bharatha is worshiped here and the annual\u00a0festival is conducted during\u00a0the month of\u00a0Medom (April-May).<\/p>\n Kumaranalloor Thrikarthika Uthsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n Thrikkarthika is celebrated in the month of Vrischikam (November\u2013December). On the Karthika day, devotees visit the Udayanapuram and\u00a0Thrissur\u00a0Vadakkunnatha temples and present their offerings. Legend has it that the gods of these two temples where enamored with the beauty of Devi as she returned from her\u00a0bath. They hopped\u00a0over the compound walls to look at here, and were finally met at the walls by temple priests. So, during Karthika, puja is performed over the walls of these temples. There is also a magnificent display of lights in the evening, called Karthika Vilakku, which is the highlight of the\u00a0celebrations.<\/p>\n Kalapathy Ratholsavam (Chariot Festival)<\/strong><\/p>\n Kuttikkol Thampuratty Theyyam<\/strong><\/p>\n During the Kuttikkol Thampuratty Theyyam festival, the major theyyam forms of Kerala are performed amid thousands of visitors. The festival itself is a riot of colours and pageantry, making it very attractive to onlookers.<\/p>\n Lokanarkavu Uthsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Lokanarkavu Bhagavathy temple is situated at Memunda in North\u00a0Kerala. It celebrates two festivals annually in the months of Vrischikam (November-December) and Meenam (March-April). The festival in Vrischikam is called\u00a0Mandalavilakku\u00a0and is the more important of the two.<\/p>\n Mannarsala Utsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n Nellikulangara Vela<\/strong><\/p>\n The temple of\u00a0Nellikulangara\u00a0Bhagavathi\u00a0attracts many visitors who seek to\u00a0invoke the blessings of the Goddess. Their annual festival\u00a0is conducted\u00a0in the\u00a020th Meenam (March-April) every year. During the festival, an image of the deity is placed on a richly attired elephant and taken on a procession.\u00a0To accompany the procession, there is a live band, fireworks and a lot of pageantry.<\/p>\n Sharkara Bharani and Kaliyootu<\/strong><\/p>\n The Sarkara Bhagavathy temple is situated in the\u00a0Sarkara village, close to the\u00a0Chirayinkeezhu railway station. This temple celebrates\u00a0the\u00a0Kaliyoottu festival in Kumbham and the Bharani festival in Meenam (February-March). Kaliyootu is actually a commemoration of the fight between Darika and Bhadrakali.<\/p>\n Sundareshwara Temple Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n The Shri Sundareshwara Temple was founded by Shri Narayana Guru in 1916 and it’s dedicated to Lord Shiva.\u00a0This temple conducts an 8-day long festival in the months of March- April every year.<\/p>\n Thrissur Pooram<\/strong><\/p>\n Thirunakkara Uthsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Mahadeva Temple at Kottayam\u00a0is located\u00a0on the Thiruvakkara Hill. It is a famous Siva temple, known for its historical significance, antique heritage and sanctity. The temple conducts a 10-day long Arattu Utsavam in the\u00a01st Meenam (March-April) which attracts hundreds and\u00a0thousands of\u00a0devotees.<\/p>\n Thrichambaram Uthsavam<\/strong><\/p>\n The Thrichambaram temple is dedicated to Sree Krishna and is located in\u00a0the Taliparamba village. The temple’s annual festival lasts for 14 days from 22nd Kumbaham (February-March).<\/p>\n Varkala Janardhana Swamy Temple Arattu<\/strong><\/p>\n This temple’s annual 10-day long\u00a0Arattu festival is celebrated in the month of Meenam (March-April). It commences with a Kodiyettu (Flag hoisting) on Karthika day and ends with the Arattu on Uthram day.<\/p>\n Vaikathashtami Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n The Vaikathashtami Festival is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and is held\u00a0during November or December at the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple.\u00a0 This annual celebration held at the temple is a 12 day long affair, held during the dark lunar fortnight in the Malayalam month of\u00a0Vrischikam.<\/p>\n The Ashtami falls on the last day, and at dusk, deities from neighbouring temples are brought in a ceremonial procession. All the deities are worshipped and offered presents, and then an Arattu is performed in a pond close to the temple. The festival also features various classical dances and cultural\u00a0celebrations.<\/p>\n Uthralikavu Pooram<\/strong><\/p>\n Uthralikkavu Pooram is a festival held at the Shri Rudhiramahakalikav temple, situated at Wadackanchery in Thrissur district. The temple’s annual Poornam festival\u00a0is held\u00a0during February \/ March every year.<\/p>\n As you can see, there is no dearth of festivities in Kerala. Do plan your next Kerala trip<\/a> around the festival season, and join us in the celebration.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/onam-rameshng.jpg\" "\\"Onam\\"")
<\/a>Pookalam : Image by Ramesh NG<\/a> via Flickr<\/p>\n![\"Vishu\"](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/vishu-aroon.jpg\" "\\"Vishu\\"")
<\/a>Vishu Kani: Image by Aroon<\/a> via Flickr<\/p>\n![\"Kerala](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/christmas-time.jpg\")
<\/a>Christmas in Kerala<\/a>\u00a0is celebrated unlike anywhere else in the world. The ever growing Christian populace here, has adapted the Christmas celebrations, infusing it with the spirit and culture of Kerala itself.\u00a0The birth of Jesus Christ is observed with traditional church services\u00a0and\u00a0elaborate nativity arrangements, sharing the love of Christ and the peace of the season with families and neighbours.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Ramadan-faris.jpg\" "\\"Ramadan\\"")
<\/a>Image by Faris Algosaibi<\/a> via Flickr<\/p>\n![\"Maha](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/aluva-shivaratri.jpg\" "\\"Maha")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"deepavali\"](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/deepavali.jpg\")
<\/a>Image by Kamakshi Sachidanandam <\/a>Via Flickr<\/p>\nMajor Temple Festivals in Kerala<\/h2>\n
![\"Padmanabha](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Padmanabha-temple-arattu.jpg\" "\\"Padmanabha")
Image by dilip … <\/a>via Flickr<\/p>\n![\"Aranmula-boat-race\"](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Aranmula-boat-race.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Attukal](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/attukal-pongala-seema1.jpg\" "\\"Attukal")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Chettikulangara](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/chettikulangara-temple-festival.jpg\" "\\"Chettikulangara")
The Chettikulangara Temple near Kayamkulam celebrates the Bharani Utsavam in the Malayalam month of Kumbham (February-March). The highlight of this\u00a0temple festival is Kuthiyottam and Kettukazhcha. As part of the Kuthiyottam\u00a0ceremony, young boys are required to fast, and are taken in a ceremonial procession to the temple\u00a0to the tune of music, the beating of drums and ornamental umbrellas. For\u00a0Kettukazhcha, local residents worship\u00a0decorated effigies of chariots, horses and dieties and take part in a ceremonial procession.<\/p>\n![\"Chottanikkara](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Chottanikkara-Temple.jpg\" "\\"Chottanikkara")
<\/p>\n![\"Guruvayoor](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Gurovayoor-temple.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Kodungallur](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/kodungalloor-bharani.jpg\" "\\"Kodungallur")
The Bharani festival is well known for it’s spectacular event called\u00a0kaavu theendal. For\u00a0this ritual, oracles from various parts of the state arrive at Kodungalloor Bhagavathy temple. The men and women run\u00a0around the temple in a trance, smiting their crowns with swords\u00a0and\u00a0proclaiming their communion with the Mother Goddess. The devotees strike the temple rafters with sticks and throw\u00a0their offerings over the roof in to the inner quadrangle of the temple.<\/p>\n![\"Kalapathy](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/kalpathy-chariot-festival.jpg\" "\\"Kalapathy")
The Sree Viswanathaswamy Temple at Kalpathy holds an annual 7 day chariot festival, and the last three days are called the Kalpathy Ratholsavam. The 700 year old temple celebrates this festival with\u00a0Vedic recitals\u00a0and a massive\u00a0procession of decorated temple chariots drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees.<\/p>\n![\"Mannarsala](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Mannarasala_temple.jpg\" "\\"Mannarsala")
Mannarsala,\u00a0situated near the\u00a0Sri. Subramanyaswamy temple\u00a0in\u00a0Haripad, is the seat of the famous temple of Nagaraja (God of Serpents). The temple itself is build in a grove and is known to have 30,000 images of snake gods. On the day of Ayilliam in the months of Kanni and Thulam (September and October), all the serpent deities\u00a0in the grove and temple are taken in a procession and are offered Nurum Palum (rice flour and milk), Kuruthi (a red liquid made of turmeric and lime) and cooked rice.<\/p>\n![\"Thrissur](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/thrissur_pooram.jpg\" "\\"Thrissur")
The Thrissur Pooram is\u00a0celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medam (April-May). The 200 year\u00a0old festival displays a spectacular procession of elephants and drummers for a whole\u00a036 hours. Unlike other\u00a0temple festivals, the Thrissur Pooram is celebrated by all residents, irrespective of religion, caste or community.<\/p>\n![\"Vaikathashtami](\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Vaikathashtami-Festival.png\" "\\"Vaikathashtami")
Image by RajeshUnuppally<\/a> at ml.wikipedia<\/p>\n