Festivals of Kerala

Every year, in the lush villages around Kovalam (18 km from Thiruvananthapuram), mid January is the time for cultural events. The traditional thatch houses are decorated during this ten day long festival and are the venue for folk dances, music and festivities.

Onam
Onam the harvest festival, is celebrated annually throughout Kerala during August-September. Kerala’s most important festival is celebrated in the honour of the ancient asura king Mahabali. The occasion also heralds the harvest season. The decorating of houses with carpets of flowers, a sumptuous lunch and songs in praise of the golden reign of Mahabali, mark the ten day long festivities. A major attraction of the Onam celebrations are the famed snake boat races along the backwaters at Champakulam, Aranmula and Kottayam.

Onam heralds the harvest festival and is also according to folklore the time of the year when the king Mahabali, the legendary ruler of an ancient golden era in Kerala, returns from the depths of the nether world to visit his beloved subjects. It is an unusual festival, in the sense that it reverses the memory of the local 'asura' (demon) king, Mahabali (who is also affectionately called Maveli or Onathappan), whom Lord Vishnu coming down to earth as Vamanan, a Brahmin boy, cleverly exploited the very benevolence of this great king to oust him from his kingdom.

So attached was the king to his country and subjects, that he asked for and was granted permission to visit his subjects once every year. Onam is considered to be that day on which King Mahabali comes top visit the beloved subjects of his kingdom. Houses are cleaned, everyone wears the new Onam clothes (Onakkodi) they have received and floral decorations are put to give a fitting welcome to the beloved ruler during whose rule the kingdom was said to have been at its glorious.

Legend has it that the gods became envious of the king because he was so well adored and loved by his subjects that Indran, the king of the devas felt that his position was under threat due to the immense popularity enjoyed by Mahabali among his subjects. So he requested Lord Vishnu's help whereby the lord devised a scheme to get rid of Mahabali and sent him into exile in the nether world. Lord vishnu came down to earth in the guise of Vamanan, a poor Brahmin boy and requested the ever benevolent king for three foot measures of land to meditate upon. The king asked Vamana to measure and take the same from anywhere he wanted. On getting the king's permission. Lord Vishnu transforms into his cosmic form and covers the earth and all the other worlds in his first two root measures and asks the king where he should get his third foot measure of space from.

The king being a man of great honour could not even think of going back on his word and offered his own very head whereby lord Vishnu' put his foot over the king's head and pushed him down to 'patalam'. Before being sent down, the king requested Lord Vishnu permission to visit his country and people and was given permission to return to his people one each year. It is this occasion of Mahabali's annual visit that is celebrated as Onam.

Onam is a great time to be in Kerala, as this beautifully lush green region combines a celebration of its warring and seafaring traditions with festivities honouring the ancient asura king Mahabali, Kaikottikkali is a folk dance form performed by the women all over the State during Onam with clapping of hands by the performers.

While caparisoned elephants go out in procession, beautifully decorated snake boats races on the backwaters and cultural events lend colour to the festivities.

Pooram

The colourful Pooram festival is held in Thrissur at its fine Vadakkumnathan Temple in the month of May. Processions of beautifully caparisoned elephants provide a magnificent spectacle. The festival is rounded off at night by dazzling firework displays.

Vishu
Vishu occupies a unique position in more than one respect.This day is celebrated in almost all places in India by the Hindus albeit by different names. In Bihar this day is called Bihu, in Punjab Baisakhi and in Tamil Nadu Puthandu.

Though this is not the New Year's Day in the Malayalam Calendar, people of Kerala consider Vishu the beginning of a new year Vishu Kani’ - a display of grain, fruits, flowers, gold, new cloth and money, is viewed early in the morning to ensure a prosperous year ahead. Firework displays and the buying of new clothes are a part of the festivities.