Kerala Festivals

ARANMULA SNAKE BOAT RACE

The Aranmula Snake Boat Race is staged each year in the scenic village of Aranmula in August/ September. This river carnival is part of the Aranmula Temple festival. Masses throng the shores of the River Pamba to watch an imposing cluster of snake boats called 'Palliyodams'.

Each boat, nearly 100 feet long, is a remarkable feat of craftsmanship, with the stem curved to resemble the hood of a snake and a tampering bow. Festooned with silk and gold spangled umbrellas, the boats are manned by a crew of more than 100 men.

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. Jawaharlal Nehru who was enthralled by the charm and gaiety of the water carnival instituted the Nehru Trophy. This boat race attracts a large number of tourists.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most famous of the boat races of Kerala. This annual regatta is held on the Punnamada Backwaters of Alappuzha district on the second Saturday of August.

The event is a commemoration of the visit to this place by the late Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1952.

The spectacular races features magnificent snake boats or 'Chundans'. The boisterous and rhythmic boat songs or Vanchipattu work the spectators to a state of frenzy.

The national festival of Kerala. It is celebrated in the malayalam month of Chingham. Many myths surround this festival. The most important is that Onam celebrates the return of the legendary king Mahabali who ruled over a golden age. Another myth is about Cheraman Perumal who accepted the Muslim faith. Onam marks the month of harvest suggesting prosperity and happiness all around. It is a ten-day long festival, starting from the day of Atham. People decorate their yards with floral carpets during these days.

Each and everyone dressed in their new clothes assemble in their homes for the traditional Onam meal. The vegetarian meal eaten on a banana leaf contains traditional dishes, pappad and payasam(sweet). The meal is followed by other activities like dance, games and boat race. The ladies perform the Kaikkottikkali (a dance form). Onathallu or Kayyangali, Thallu and Onappada, which is a martial art for entertainment, are performed as part of the Onam celebrations. Onathallu conducted at Kurumbranattu and Kunnamkulam are quite famous.

ONAM

Onam, the harvest festival is the most popular festival of Kerala. A festival that celebrates a happy blend of myth and reality, Onam is part of the cultural repertoire of every Malayalee.

It brings back nostalgic memories, carried on the wings of folklore, of a bygone Utopian era of prosperity, equality and righteousness, under the golden reign of Mahabali. Year after year, for centuries, the people of Kerala, irrespective of caste, creed or colour, join together to welcome back their vanquished king. The ten-day Onam festival falls in August-September, coinciding with the beginning of the harvest season.

The Festivity - Onam Festival in Kerala

Preparation of a floral carpet called "Athappookkalam" in front of houses, from the first day of 'Atham' to the tenth day of 'Thiruvonam' is part of the festivities, which is a symbolic gesture to welcome King Mahabali.

The state government conducts Tourism Week celebrations in connection with Onam, showcasing the gems of Kerala's culture. Onam resonates with Carnivals, Boat Races, Dance, Music and Feast.

A sumptious meal on plantain leaf and the traditional sweet dish of Kerala 'Payasam' etc are served in every house The pomp and pageantry of Onam reflects the Keralite's zest for all the beautiful things of life.

THRISSUR POORAM

Thrissur is best known for its mammoth Pooram Festival, which is the most colourful and spectacular temple festival of Kerala. The legends and myths behind each festival of Kerala are many, varied and equally interesting. Since the word pooram literally means a group or a meeting, it was believed that every year the dynastic gods and goddesses of neighbouring province met together for a day of celebration. This usually happened on the pooram asterism of one of the spring months.

Pooram is the festival of festivals. It is conducted at the great Vadakkunnatha temple of Trissur. The Vadakkunnatha temple, which resembles a Japanese Shrine, is built in the ancient Kerala style with sanded courts, stone sculptures, a traditional auditorium and multi level roofs. In the evening of Pooram day, two lines of 13 elephants face each other, on the ground south to the temple. Each Pachyderm bears an umbrella holder, a peacock fan carrier and a yak-tail fly whisk wielder. 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.

The gods and their entourage arrived for the meeting on colourfully decorated tuskers. Even today, the converging of these divine processions at the festival venue is an awe inspiring sight. The pooram draws to a close with mind-blowing fireworks displays in the evening and in the wee hours of the next morning. Some of the main Pooram celebrations are at Aratupuzha, Thrissur, Uthralikavu, Cheeramkulangara, Pariyanampetta, Mannarkad, Perumanam, Aryankavu, Mangottu, Medamkulangara, Kodikal, Thirumandhamkunnu etc.

Thrissur Pooram is held in the Malayalam month of Medam (April- May). Devotees and spectators from all parts of the state and even outside, throng the 'Pooram'.

Introduced during the reign of Sakthan Thampuran (1775- 1790), the Raja of Kochi, Pooram is an assemblage of suburban deities before the presiding deity at the Siva temple in down town Thrissur. The Pooram celebration is held at the Thekkinkadu grounds.

Traditionally, two groups representing the main geographic divisions of Thrissur, Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi, rival to add to the Pooram's grandeur. Both teams field face to face arrays of richly caparisoned elephants.

And then 'Kudamattam', a competition in the swift and rhythmic changing of brightly coloured and sequinned parasols is conducted. The whole event takes place in rhythm with the traditional orchestra 'Pandimelam'.

TamilNadu Festivals

PONGAL FESTIVAL

A majority of the population of India depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the states of India. Pongal is an important festival of Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the Southeast monsoons as well as the reaping of the harvest. It falls in the month Thai and is strictly a rural festival.

About The Festival

The festival is celebrated for four days and the celebrations on the first day of the Tamil month Thai and continues for the three days. The month of Thai is supposed to be very auspicious for every kind of activity. The Sun is worshipped for his rays are responsible for the life on earth.

It is the biggest harvest festival, spread over four days. 'Bhogi' is celebrated on January 13, 'Pongal' on January 14, 'Mattu Pongal' on January 15, and 'Thiruvalluvar Day' on January 16. Thiruvalluvar has done a great contribution to Tamil literature with 'Thirukkural'. There are 1,330 verses in this work and they talk about all aspects of life.

In fact, the name of the festival is derived from Pongal, a rice pudding made from freshly harvested rice, milk and jaggery. The first day, "Bhogi Pongal", is a day for the family. "Surya Pongal", the second day, is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God. The third day of Pongal, "Mattu Pongal", is for the worship of the cattle.

Cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colours, and garlands of flowers placed around their necks. Pongal is associated with cleaning and burning of rubbish, symbolizing the destruction of evil.

All the four days of Pongal have there own individual significance. On the first day, delicious preparations are made and homes are washed and decorated. Doorways are painted with vermilion and sandalwood paste with colourful garlands of leaves and flowers decorating the outside of almost every home. On this day 'Bhogi' or the Rain God is worshipped.

The Legend Behind The Celebrations There are few interesting legends behind the Pongal

celebrations. The most popular among them related to the celebrations of the first day of the Pongal festival goes like this - Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger to shelter his people and save them from being washed away by the rains and floods.

According to another the third day of Pongal is celebrated because Lord Shiva once asked Nandi, his bull, to go to earth and deliver his message to the people - to have an oil bath every day and food once a month. But Nandi got it all mixed up when he delivered the message, and told the people that Shiva asked them to have an oil bath once a month and eat every day. Shiva was displeased, and told Nandi that since the people would now need to grow more grain, Nandi would have to remain on earth and help them plough the fields.

Mattu Pongal is also called "Kanu Pongal", and women pray for the welfare of their brothers. This is similar to the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj celebrated in some states of North India.

The Tempting Recipes

Sweet rice, known as "Pongal", is cooked in a new earthenware pot at the same place where puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric and ginger are tied around this pot. Then a delicious concoction of rice, Moong Dal, jaggery and milk are boiled in the pot on an open fire. This Pongal, according to ritual, is allowed to boil and spill out of the pot. Pongal, once ready, is offered to God first, on a new banana leaf along with other traditional delicacies like Vadas, Payasam, etc. Besides this, sugarcane, grain, sweet potatoes, etc are also offered to the Sun God.

Rituals Followed

A typical traditional Pongal celebration has a number of rituals attached to it. The place where the Pongal Puja is to be conducted is cleaned and smeared with dung, a day prior to the festival. People generally choose an open courtyard for this purpose.

'Kolams' (Rangoli) generally drawn with rice flour are special to the occasion. The idea behind using rice flour is that the insects would feed on it and bless the household. At the centre of it a lump of cow dung holds a five-petal pumpkin flower, which is regarded as a symbol of fertility and an offering of love to the presiding deity. In a similar way the houses are also cleaned, painted and decorated. Kolams (Rangoli) are made in the front yards of the houses and new clothes for the whole family are bought to mark the festivities. Even the cattle are gaily caparisoned with beads, bells and flowers-their horns painted and capped with gleaming metals.

Processions

A procession is taken out from the Kandaswamy (also spelt as Kandaswami) Temple in Chennai. In Madurai, Tanjore and Tiruchirrapalli, where Pongal is known as Jellikattu, bundles of money are tied to the horns of bulls, and villagers try and wrest the bundles from them. Community meals are made from the freshly gathered harvest and enjoyed by the entire village.

NATYANJILI DANCE FESTIVAL

The festival in the honor of the great Cosmic Dancer or Lord Natraja (a form of Lord Shiva) is held every year in Chidambaram during February or March. This five-day long festival starts from the auspicious occasion of the Maha Shivaratri day. According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Nataraja is the Lord of Dances and hence the festival features dance performances in the 'Prakara' of the magnificent Chidambaram temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The 1000-year old temple provides a fitting backdrop to the spectacular event taking place under the golden roof of the temple showing pillars that depict Lord Nataraja in the classic 108 poses from the classical dance form of Tamil Nadu known as Bharatanatyam. Renowned dancers from all over India pay their homage to the deity by performing in the honor of Lord Nataraja at Natyanjali festival.

The Department of Tourism of Government of Tamil Nadu, the Ministry Of Tourism of Government of India and the Natyanjali Trust of Chidambaram jointly organize this festival. One can almost feel the elation of the dancers as they go into a trance while performing with exquisite acumen and skill that comes with years of training and practice. The evocative 'Abhinaya' (acting) and the subtle movements of each of their body parts are worth seeing. Performing at the festival is considered one of the greatest honors offered to these classical dancers as they dance to create the 'Padams' and 'Varnams' in the course of creating an imaginary figure of the Lord Nataraja. The dance festival re-establishes music and dance as the universal language and while entertaining, it also makes the audience aware of the rich classical dance forms of India.

KAVADI FESTIVAL

The festival dedicated to Lord Muruga (a form of Lord Shiva), 'Kavadi' is much more than fulfilling the vow to the Lord in exchange of some wish-fulfillment, it is one of the most awesome festivals of India that makes one wonder whether there is more to the world than one can sense through one's sense organs. The vows range from simpler ones to the painful ones, which are claimed to be the result of the supreme love for God. It is said that once the worldly wish is fulfilled, the devotee takes the Kavadi and in the process comes so close to God that he attains the supreme state of devotion. 'Kavadi' is actually a wooden stick with two baskets at each end that can be slung across the shoulder and is usually richly decorated with flowers, peacock feathers and even jewels and especially, brass bells that serve to announce the presence of the Kavadi-bearer nearby. During the Kavadi procession, Kavadi bearer has to follow many rules such as observing silence all the way. The two baskets hanging at either end of the Kavadi are filled with rice, milk and other such articles that have to be collected by begging.

Some of the bearers walk barefooted from their homes to the shrine of Lord Muruga after elaborate ceremonies. The bearer has to wear 'Pandaram', which consists of a saffron-colored cloth, a scarlet conical cap and a silver-capped cane silver-capped at both ends along with several 'Rudraksha Malas' (rosaries) to cover his bare chest. They observe celibacy and abstain from intoxicating drinks and substances and partake of 'Satwik' food, which is strictly vegetarian and has no oil or spices. However, the scene that strikes terror in the hearts is seeing devotees that pass a sharp little spear through their tongue that protrudes out of their mouth or a spear through their cheeks. They are said to be in a high state of religious fervor and can be seen dancing in ecstasy even through the live burning coals! Kavadi is carried all the way up to Palani hills. The Ettukudi Kavadi Festival is celebrated during the months of April or May.

KARTHIGAI DEEPAM

The oldest festival of Tamil Nadu and South India, Karthigai Deepam has been mentioned and referred to in many ancient works of Tamil literature such as 'Tolkappiyam' that dates back to 2,000 or 2,500 BC, 'Jeevakachintamani', an epic written by Jain poet, Thiruthakka Thevar, in the Sangam period, 'Karnarpadu', 'Kalavazhi Narpadu' dating around 1,000 BC and 'Pazhamozhi'. It falls in the month of Karthigai when the star Krithigai is on the ascendant according to the Tamil Calendar on a full moon day. It is believed that Lord Muruga, the divine light of Lord Shiva, took his form during this month. The ten-days festival is also known as 'the Festival of Lights' and is said to be the extension of the Deepavali festival of India. In some communities, people keep doubling the number of lamps every day from the day of Deepavali till Karthigai Deepam and thus the burning lamps present an enchanting spectacle during the night.

People clean their houses and decorate them with 'Kolam' patterns on the festive occasion. It is only after the 'Deeparathana' (worship ritual) that the lamps are moved to all the parts of the house and lit to create the dreamy look that enchants everyone. During this festival, people also flock to the Annamali Hills (thus it also known as Annamalai Deepam) to worship the Bharani Deepam, the huge lamp that is lit early in the morning on the final day of the festival in the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. It is said that the flame of the lame does not flicker on this day and reveals the form of Lord Muruga, reaching up to the sky. The Deepam actually a colossal circular metal vessel with a capacity to hold about 2,000 litres of ghee, a height of five and half feet and diameter of five feet. The wick of the lamp itself is made up of 30m of 'Ghada' cloth burnt using 2 kilos of camphor. It is claimed that on the night of 'Karthigai Pournami', when the lamp is lit it can be seen across an area of 35km around the shrine.