Famous Seven religious Kerala Festivals in India.

Famous religious  Kerala Festivals in the state. The festivals like Onam, Vishu, Thrissur, Thiruvathira, Theyyam, Makaravilakku Festival etc.

Kerala is a state on the situated southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. It was formed on 1st November 1956. Kerala state is spread over 38863 sq km. Kerala is the 21st state largest Indian state in India. It is boarded by Karnataka in the North, Tamilnadu to the east, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. About 33millions of inhabitants as per the 2011 census.

Kerala is the 13th largest state by population. Kerala is divided into 14 districts with the Capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the official language of this state. Kerala is the best-governed state in India as per the report of the Public affairs Index-2020(PAI).

 The festivals like Onam, Vishu, Thrissur, Thiruvathira, Theyyam, Makaravilakku Festival, and Aarattu at Trivandrum, Ambalapuzha Arattu, and Aranmula Uthrattathi are the best festivals of Kerala.

 Onam:-

Onam is the most important and popular festival in Kerala. Onam is also called Thiruonam and it’s celebrated at the beginning of the month Chingam of the Malayalam calendar. Onam is celebrated by everybody in the state irrespective of their community, caste, creed, and class. It is also the festival that marks the return of King Mahabali, who sacrificed his life for the people.

 There are four main days of Onam; the most important is Thiru Onam. However, the celebration starts ten days prior to Thiru Onam and each day has its significance. Houses, offices,s, and shops are decorated with intricate flower arrangements called pookalam.

People buy new clothes, exchange gifts, and visit temples. The ten days festival includes cultural activities like Atthachamayam, Publically boat race, Komati Kali, and tug of war. The most important part of the celebration is the Sadya, the lunch on Sadya Onam.

 About 26 dishes are prepared and served on a plantain leaf. Onam sadya is a great way to experience the culture of the state through its food. Many hotels in Kerala and outside the state host the Onam feast.

 Vishu: –

 Vishu festival marks the beginning of the New Year for the people of Kerala. It is the most important festival in the state. The festival is celebrated in the month of Medam of the Malayalam calendar.

The most important part of the festival is the Vishukani. Apart from Kerala, this festival is celebrated in neighboring regions like Mangalore, Tulunadu, and Udupi. Vishu is also called the festival of fireworks and light as the celebration includes bursting firecrackers.

 It is said that Krishna killed the demon Naraksura on the day of Vishu. The celebrations start with Vishukani, the first thing people see in the morning. Vishu Kani is an arrangement of auspicious items including gold, yellow cucumber, white cloth, coconut, a mirror, a lamp, and an image or idol of Krishna.

 Gold coins and the color gold are central to this arrangement. Kanika; a yellow flower is also included in Vashukani.It s believed that Vishukani brings luck and prosperity for the coming year.

Kerala Boat festival:-

The magnificent boat race is held between July and August every year. Kerala state hosts several boat races but the most popular races are the Nehru Trophy Boat race and the champkulam Moolam Boat race. The most important and fascinating part of the race is the snake boat, which is called Chundan Vallams.

The magnificent boat is 10 to 120-foot-long canoes made of wood, which is locally called “ Anjali thadi”.The boat can carry about 100 rowers and looks like a snake when it moves through the dark backwater.

Another important part of the boat race is the boat song, which is called Vanchipattu. Vanchipattu is a form of poetry in the Malayalam Language and it is recited during the boat race.

The most important boat race is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, which is conducted in the Punnamade Lake located closed to Allapuzha. Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted on the second Saturday of August.

Theyyam Festival:-

Theyyam is one of the popular festivals in North Malabar of Kerala, mainly in the area of Kolathunandu, which includes present-day Koyilandy Vadakara Taluk in Kozhikode, Kannur district. The festival is also celebrated in Tulunandu and Kodagu in Karnataka.

 This festival is 800 years old festival is celebrated between December and April. It is a form of worship and it showcases art and folds dance. There are 400 different types of Theyyam dance. Wayanad, Kulaven, Muchilottu Bhaga vathi; Rakha Chamundi, and Kari Chamundi are some best Theyyam performances.

There are three stages of learning for the performer of Theyyam. The first stage involves adorning themselves using flowers and colors. They also were masks. In the second stage, the performer undergoes self-torture.

The third stage involves dancing. The performer wears just a red headdress. The dance is performed to a special ritual song, which is recited by the drummers and dancers.

The songs have usually described the legends and myths associated with the main deity of the shrine. Folk musical instruments are used in Thyyam.

Makaravilliku Festival:-

Makaavilliku festival is one of the most important festivals of Kerala. This festival is celebrated in the Sabrimala temple. Kerala is said to be God’s own county.

People of Kerala are purely devoted and follow these holy processions and celebrations religiously. Sabrimala is a hill shrine in Kerala and has a grand celebration for the festival, thousands of devotees come to witness and be a part of this auspicious occasion and to get darshan of the rituals.

 The state of Kerala, the people there, and especially the sadhus and visitors of the Sabarmati temple celebrated Makar Sankranti as the Makaravilliku festival. The devotees of the temple worshiped Lord Ayyapan at the festival and clad them with their ornaments also known as Thiruvabharanam.

 There is also lighting of the lamp by the Kerala government. The actual meaning of makaravaliakku is the light or the flame which appears thrice on the Ponnambalamedu hill which is approximately 4 km away from Sabrimala temple. Sabrimala is a popular pilgrim in India; it does not only attract devotees from Kerala but all over India and also foreigners from all across the world wanting to explore the Indian culture.

Aranmula Uthrattathi Festival:-

Aranmula Vallamkali or the Aranmula snake boat is a boat race held in the Pampa River near Hindu Temple. The Aanmula Parthasarthy Temple was dedicated to Lord Krishna and Arjuna during Onam the harvest festival of Kerala.

 The Aranmula Boat race is the oldest river boat festival in Kerala in the month of ( August –September). The snake boat moves in pairs to the rhythm of full-throated singing and shouting watched by an exciting crowd.

 Aramula Vallamkali is also known as Aranmula Uthattathi Vallamakali or Aranmula Utharattathi Boat race. Thousands of people gather on the banks of river Pampa to watch the snake boat race.

The oarsmen sing traditional boat songs and wear white mundu and turban. The golden lace at the head of the boat, the flag, and the ornament umbrella at the center make it a show of pageantry too.

The Legend of this festival is that the Brahmin once offered all the requirements for the traditional feast on the day of Thiruvonam at the Aranmula Parthasarthy Temple.

Aarattu festival in Kerala:-

The unique feature of the Aarattu festival as celebrated at the Shree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is that when idols are taken for the holy bath, the head of the royal family of the erstwhile state of Travancore accompanies the procession.

The idols are taken to the Shankumugham Beach and then given the purifying bath in the sea. The Aarattu festival is also celebrated at Shree Krishnaswamy Temple at Ambalapuzha. The celebrations at the Shree Padmanabha Swami Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

 Apart from the traditional holy bath of the idol, an important feature of the festival as celebrated in the temple is Ambalapuzha Palpayasam, a sweet dish offered to the lord.

The Aaaratu festival is celebrated twice a year. It is once celebrated in the month of October-November and again in the month of March –April. On both occasion, this festival lasts for a period of ten days.