Festival in Kerala

Festivals of Kerala denote color, vivacity, appetizing food and a variety of prayers and rituals. The multiplicity of festivities in Kerala also enrich the Indian culture as these are related to almost anything that is of importance in life. There are countless fairs and festivals round the year, packed with fun and frolic, enthusiasm, excitement, gaiety and rituals that makes Kerala a favorite tourist destination. Few significant festivals are:

Onam
Onam in held in the month of August/September every year and is the most popular festival celebrated in Kerala. This ten day festival involves singing, dancing, feasting and religious ceremonies. This harvest festival is celebrated to welcome the legendary king Mahabali. Intricate floral decorations are made on the courtyard to welcome this king on his visit to his beloved subjects. The most exciting feature of the festival however, is the snake boat races held at several places on the palm-fringed lagoons.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race
Nehru Trophy Boat Race, the annual water carnival at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha is considered as the biggest snake boat race in the world. The colourful boat pageantry, which precedes the boat race, is a marvelous treat to the onlookers. The snake boats with 100 to 120 oarsmen plough the waters to the tune of the legendary songs. Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most famous of the boat races of Kerala. The event is a commemoration of the visit to this place by the late Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1952.

Attukal Pongala
Attukal Pongala this is the one and the only temple festival in the world where lakhs of women assembled together to make offerings by cooking a pudding for the goddess in the Attukal temple. It is taken home after the chief priest of the temple will come and sprinkle the holy water and will shower the flowers. This festival will come to an end in the evening with a procession from the temple.

Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram is the festival of festivals. It is conducted at the great Vadakkunnatha temple of Trissur. In the evening of Pooram day, two lines of 13 elephants face each other, on the ground south to the temple. Between the two lines of elephants stand percussion and wind orchestras. As each orchestra reaches a crescendo, a new display of brilliant ceremonial umbrellas blossoms over the elephants and the supporting crowd applauds. This continues till sunset when the elephants depart and late at night, the darkness explodes with a magnificent fireworks display.

Navarathri
Navarathri this festival is in praise of mother Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and music. A musical concert of reputed classical singers is held every evening for nine days at the Navarathri Mandapam of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

Deepavali
Deepavali the happiest and the festival of lights is held through out India .In night countless oil lamps are lit followed by bursting crackers.

Christmas
Christmas comes to our mind land with the season of mist. It gleans with the message of eternal peace in the torched and troubled lives. Lights, sweets, songs and fireworks greet the son of God.