Festivals Of Kerala – Let The Celebrations Begin!

Decorated elephants, endless energy, joyful boat races, ferocious beats of drums, vibrant colours, traditional dance performances, and fabulous food on the banana leaf, do all these remind you of something? If yes, it should definitely be the festivals of Kerala. Yes, festivals refuel our soul with enormous happiness and shed light on our dark and dead souls, right? In that case, Kerala presents some of the best festivals and excites people all across the world. These festivals showcase the best of Kerala’s rich culture and heritage. Interesting, huh? Well, let’s turn as chetas and chechis and take a look at the fantastic festivals of Kerala!

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Festivals of Kerala

• Onam
• Thrissur Pooram
• Aaranmula Boat Race
• Vishu
• Theyyam
• Adoor Gajamela
• Makaravilakku
• Thiruvathira
• Arattu Festival
• Christmas

1. Onam

As soon as you think about the festivals of Kerala, Onam is the first thing that comes to your mind, right? Onam is one of the important festivals in Kerala. In addition, you could see a whole new Kerala with drum beats, elephants, floral decorations, rituals, people with Kerala sarees, dhotis and full of happiness. Onam is actually a harvest festival and falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam. People celebrate this festival to commemorate Lord Vishnu and the homecoming of King Mahabali. This 10 days celebration will give you one of the best experiences in Kerala.

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2. Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur Pooram is one of the best festivals of Kerala where you will find people all across the world. The grand display, beautifully decorated elephants, stunning parasols, fireworks, the percussion music and lakhs of people make it a grand event. The interesting part is that this festival has been considered as the largest festival in Asia which is secular in nature. Thrissur Pooram is the mother of all poorams and is held at Vadukkannathan Swamy temple of Kerala every year in April or May.

3. Aaranmula Boat Race

Boat races in Kerala have a separate fan base and elevate the beauty of the sparkling water canals. The level of enthusiasm among the participants is something which pulls the crowd. The Aaranmula Boat Race takes place in the month of August and September every year as a part of Aaranmula Temple festival. So, if you love to witness the power-packed boat races, make sure you visit this festival.

4. Vishu

Vishu marks the beginning of the Malayali year which falls on 14th, 15th and 16th of April and is one of the most important festivals of Kerala. People celebrate this festival at home and believe that the whole year will depend on whatever you see on Vishu morning. You will see people gifting each other, sharing sweets, enjoying the fireworks and cherishing the day.

5. Theyyam

We can never forget the red-painted and masked faces which we often spot in Kerala, right? If you love such performances and wanted to learn more about the art and tradition, a visit to Kerala during the Theyyam festival is a must for you. This 800-year-old festival let the performers perform through 3 stages and comes up with a total of 400 varieties of Theyyam performances.

6. Adoor Gajamela

Adoor Gajamela is a treat for your eyes and is one of the most loved festivals of Kerala. Gaja, does that remind you of something? Yes, the elephants! Gaja means elephants and mela means fair. So, you will get to see the lovely elephants which are incredibly decorated. Adoor Gajamela is a ten-day-long festival which is held in the Parthasarathy Temple and is dedicated to Lord Krishna. You will get to witness many colourful cultural programmes which are grandly celebrated.

7. Makaravilakku

Makaravilakku is celebrated for a whole week in the month of January and devotees worship Lord Ayyappan during this festival. The whole festival is organized at the Ayyappan temple which is located at Sabarimala. Interestingly, you will be able to see the Divya Jyothi from 9 different spots when you are in Sannidhanam. Also, the major attraction of the festival is the Thiruvabharanam procession. This procession is followed by a religious congregation at the Sabarimala hilltop. People believe that whoever reaches the top of the shrine will seek the blessings of Lord Ayappan. The records also say that millions of devotees from all over the world come here to seek blessings on this auspicious day of Makaravilakku in Sabarimala.

8. Thiruvathira

Thiruvathira is a famous festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. People believe that Thiruvathira is a perfect day to seek Lord Shiva’s blessings and devotees wholeheartedly pray on this day. People celebrate this festival in the month of December or January. All the Shiva devotees across the world gather and celebrate this festival. People will wake up early morning on this particular day and will start chanting prayers. Later on, all the ladies form a circle and sing songs to praise Kamadeva.

9. Arattu Festival

Arattu is a grand ten days festival celebrated in the Janardhan Swamy Temple. This festival commences with Kodiyettu villa on Karthika day and ends with Arattu on Uthram day. This festival beautifully displays the culture and art of Kerala. You will be able to see the beautifully decorated silk umbrellas, kathakali dance performance, decorated elephants and many more interesting things. In addition, people celebrate Arattu festival twice in a year in Kerala and it is one of the most celebrated festivals in Kerala.

10. Christmas

Well, Christmas is one of the famous festivals celebrated all over the world and also holds a strong position in Kerala because of its large Christian community. You will see houses and churches decorated with lightings, Christmas trees and people will be presenting gifts, singing, dancing and the kids will be waiting to see Santa Claus!

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The culture of Kerala is unique and interesting to know. And yes, attending the festivals of Kerala is truly one of the best ways to learn Kerala’s culture and to light your soul with celebration. Moreover, festivals always bring happiness and it’s a delight to be a part of such beautiful festivals. So, why don’t you take part in such festivals? Already interested? Well, quickly head to Pickyourtrail website and check on the amazing travel packages to Kerala for a stunning vacation. Also, you can connect in Whatsapp for more options. In addition, follow this page for more interesting contents. Let your travel journey begin with Pickyourtrail!