India is a huge country where you will find countless places to visit. But when it comes to places to visit in South India, Kerala becomes everyone's first choice. Kerala is a beautiful coastal state of India. Kerala is called God's own home because beautiful artifacts, festivals, food, and natural beauty can be enjoyed freely here. People from all over the world come to visit Kerala. If you are also planning to visit Kerala, then today in this episode we are going to tell you about some famous festivals of Kerala. These festivals of Kerala are popular all over the world. Let us know about them...
Kodungallur Bharani Utsavam
Kodungallur Bharani Utsavam or Kodungallur Bharani, usually celebrated in the Malayalam month of Meenam or between March and April, is one of the major festivals of Kerala. The festival is hosted at the Kodungallur Bhagavathi, one of the grandest temples in the state, in Thrissur. This three-day-long festival celebrates Bhadrakali's victory over a demon named Darika. During the festival celebrations, devotees sing songs and dance in groups, and people from different communities participate in the traditional rituals of the temple.
Onam
Onam is the oldest festival in Kerala. Onam is a symbol of unity and brotherhood. In this festival, the whole of Kerala is decorated with flowers. Onam is celebrated with great enthusiasm by all the citizens of Kerala. Onam is usually a festival associated with harvest once a year. It is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingoam. The amazingness of this festival is enhanced by the games organized here. Onam is also known as Thiruonam. This creation of Pulakam is celebrated in temples, homes, and pandals. On this day, famous sports like boat racing are organized, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
Thiruvathirakali
Thiruvathirakali is one of the major festivals celebrated in Kerala which is celebrated in December or January. This festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva hence this day is perfect and very auspicious to worship Lord Shiva. All the devotees of Lord Shiva visit the temple on this day to seek blessings of the Lord. On this day, women wake up at 4 in the morning to take a bath and sing songs that are related to the god of love and create rhythm by sprinkling water with their hands. Finally, the women stand in a circle and sing songs in praise of Kamadeva.
Boat festival
The boat festival is one of the ancient festivals of Kerala. The people of Kerala have a unique love for boats, which is why such festivals are regularly organized in Kerala. This boat festival is famous by the name of Boat Festival. On the day of the boat festival, a large race competition is organized in a series of large boats in large numbers, and the winners are awarded prizes, Kerala's popular sports boat festival attracts not only the country but the entire world with its special demonstrable magnetic force. The boat decorated like a bride with garlands of flowers gives a beautiful visual combination. Some of the popular trophies here are the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Champakulam Mool Boat Race, etc. Also, some big water festivals include Pilpad Jalotsav and Poonnamada Lake.
Guruvayur Festival
Guruvayur Festival is also one of the famous seven festivals of Kerala. It is a religious festival that unites people from diverse backgrounds through a common ceremony and celebration. It is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Kumbham. During this festival, a unique confluence of processions, decorative arches, bright lights, and fireworks is seen. People paint their houses during this festival. Apart from this, houses are decorated with banana leaves and coconut bunches. This festival also lasts for about 10 days. In this land of gods, tourists get to see excellent performances of many rituals and traditions. A large number of foreign tourists also come to see this festival.
Vishnu Mahotsav
Vishnu Mahotsav, one of the ancient festivals of Kerala, is famous for its fireworks and colorful displays. Also known as Vishnu festival, Vishnu festival is celebrated as the New Year festival for the Malayali population of the state. This is the biggest festival of April, on this day the tradition of Kanya Kanal is famous all over Kerala. In this tradition, it is believed that the fate of the coming year depends on what thing is seen in the morning on this day. It is celebrated with great pomp in Kerala and the enthusiasm of the people is worth seeing. Also, on the day of this festival, the youth Money is distributed among the members, which can be seen in many forms, the most beautiful scene of this festival is considered to be at night when fireworks are done on this day.
Attukal Pongal Festival
Pongal Festival is one of the famous festivals of Kerala, this ten-day festival is celebrated especially by women. Without any discrimination, all types of castes come together and enjoy this festival. It is also given an example of unity, this festival is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Makaram Kumbham i.e. Bharani Day at the end of February according to the English calendar. This festival is usually celebrated by women in honor of the temple of Goddess Parvati in the city of Thiruvananthapuram. On this day, various types of dishes are prepared as Prasad and offered to Goddess Parvati, among which many items made of rice and bananas are world famous.
Theyyam festival
Theyyam festival is also special in Kerala. This festival is about 800 years old. The Theyyam Festival is celebrated from December to April. Around 400 different cultural dances are performed at this festival. The most special thing is that in this Kalakar dance dressed as gods. Decorated with colorful clothes, flowers, and masks, these black men look very beautiful. The most special thing is that while these dancers dance to a rhythm, flowers are showered. During this time, visitors get to know many mythological stories here. Due to the calm and pleasant weather during the festival, a large number of people participate here.
Thrissurpuram Festival
Thrissurpuram Festival is a 200-year-old festival in Kerala. This festival is a symbol of unity and brotherhood. This festival is gaining fame day by day which is celebrated in the famous temple of Vadakuknath in April in the honor of Lord Shiva. The longest puja in the whole of Kerala is performed on this festival day, a thirty-six-hour-long puja. Also, the whole of Kerala remains fragrant with the fragrance of fireworks and flowers. On this day in Kerala, the whole of Kerala is immersed in the confluence of colors, music, and devotion. The most beautiful scene is seen when elephants come out on the road dancing to the sound of drums.
Makaravilakku festival
Makaravilakku is an annual festival of Kerala celebrated on the day of Makara Sankranti. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Sabarimala temple, a major temple in the south-Indian state of Kerala. The main attraction of the festival is the grand Thiruvabharanam procession. Thousands of devotees come from all over the world to seek blessings on the auspicious day of Makaravilakku. One of the most important rituals of the Makaravilakku festival is the lighting of lamps at Ponnambalamedu which is located at a distance of 4 kilometers from the Sabarimala Ayyappan temple in the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats. It is known as the Golden Temple Hill. Lighting the lamp here commemorates the religious festival of Makaravilakku in Sabarimala.
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