Fair and Fiesta at God’s Own Country

The God’s own country is also referred as the land of festivals. The entire year is filled with numerous festival occasions and holidays. Tourists from different corners of the world come especially during the festive season to imbibe and embrace the true culture of the place.

Kerala Festivals are exclusive of their kind - colorful!

ONAM

Among festivals, the most famous and biggest Kerala festival is ‘Onam’. Onam is the national festival of Kerala which starts from the day of Onam Eve (Uthradom) and extends for ten days. All Keralites irrespective of any religion or community celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm. Onam commences during the Malayalam month of Chingam (between August and September) which marks the return of Mahabali, their mythical king.
This is also known as harvest festival which depicts the culture and tradition of this state. Onam brings out the exclusive talent of Kerala people in decorating their house with Pookolam, Onasadya, Snake Boat Race and Kaikottikali dance.

Kerala Festivals

VISHU

The 2nd important festival of Kerala is ‘Vishu’. This occasion falls on the Malayalam month of 1st Medam. They consider this day as the most auspicious day to start anything new. The characteristic feature of Vishu is Vishu Sadhya, Kainettam and shopping for something new.

CHRISTMAS

Kerala consists of strong Christian population and hence ‘Christmas’ is one among their biggest festival. The festive mood starts from December 23rd and extends till January 2nd. This festival is characterized by extensive shopping, parties, parades. The Parades are observed in all the main churches during Christmas Eve, special masses and special feast are worth enjoying.

NEW YEAR’s EVE

‘New Year’s Eve’ is also another festival which is celebrated in a grand manner at Kochi. New Year is marked by the popular Cochin Carnival and also the Lighting of Papanai (a procedure introduced by Portuguese).

EID AL ADHA

Muslim festivals like ‘Eid Al Adha’ (Otherwise known as Valiya Perunal) and ‘Eid Al Fithur’ (also referred as Cheriya Perunal) are celebrated with public holidays and special Id public prayers. One can witness major celebration especially at Malabar region, particularly Kozhikode. This region is well known for Muslim festivals where people enjoy with sweets and Malabar special cuisines like Malabar Biryani and various other specialties mostly are made using mutton and chicken.
All these festivals at Kerala gained major importance because of their famous Temple festivals. Most of Kerala temples celebrate annual festival which usually starts from the end of November and extends till the mid of May. Among them, the most famous temple festivals are ‘Thrissur Pooram’, ‘Navarathiri’ and ‘Padmanabha’s Arattu’. 

MUSIC – Adding soul to festivals!

One of the essential ingredients in any festival is their traditional music. The Kerala music comes with a rich and long history which has major influence of Carnatic music. Malayalam songs are mostly derived from early Malayalam literature that dates back to 9th century CE.

Kerala: The land of festivals and native music

Kerala has a unique tradition and has some special festivals which are limited to the state. If you are planning a trip to Kerala, it is always advisable to visit during the Onam festival which is the state festival and usually falls in the month of Aug-Sep. The whole state bears a festive look and the festival has great prominence like Diwali in north India. The festival is celebrated for 10 days, with most of the government offices remaining closed for four days. The festival marks the return of king Mahabali back home to visit his people. Onam is a festival of prosperity and harmony. Onam in the modern era is a grand shopping festival with special promotions and mega discounts being offered. Tourists visiting the state during Onam period can taste the delicious Onam feast which is part of the festival.  

Kerala music

The next prominent festival of the state is Vishu which marks the New Year for Keralites and usually falls in mid April. 
The presence of a strong Christian community and numerous churches in the state makes some of the Christian festival very special in the state. Christmas is celebrated with great enthusiasm by people of all faiths. Christmas Carole and feasts are the special attractions.

New Year is celebrated with great enthusiasm unlike any other Indian cities. However, the Cochin Carnival, a tradition started by Portuguese is the main attraction.

Muslim community celebrates Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha. Non-vegetarian food lovers should definitely taste the Malabar Biryani which is a popular native biryani. The state also provides excellent sea foods. 
Apart from religious festivals, there are certain temple festivals dedicated to local deities that showcase the native traditions of Kerala. Thrissur Pooram which is popular among these attracts thousands of tourists including foreigners. The parade of elephants, Panchavadyam (native music), and dance forms makes these festival very popular.

Kerala music

The state has few popular music schools which teach traditional Kerala music and dance forms, Kalamandalam being the most prestigious. The state has rich traditions of Carnatic music and Sopanam which originated in the temples is a popular form.
Some of the native music instruments like Chenda, idakka and chengila are used in traditional music and dance.
Visit the state to be part of the cultural heritage and musical symphony.