Kerala Festivals The Cultural Unity
Kerala Festivals:
Onam:
Onam is a major festival celebrated in Kerala. This is the Hindu festival celebrated with great devotion. On this day, the devotees welcome King Mahabali, the ruler of ancient Kerala. During this period, the people of Kerala lived happily with love and prosperity. So the festival celebrates the significance of welcoming Mahabali to his native land. The festival falls in August or September and is famous as a harvesting festival. Boat races and Kathakali dances are the major attractions during this festival celebration.
Vishnu:
This is the festival of the New Year for the Malayali people. Generally, the festival arrives in April. The famous Kani-Kandl prepared the previous night and devotionally offered to the deity of Krishna. The households prepare payasam and Vishu Kanji. The youngers decorate their houses beautifully and fire the crackers with joy.
Thrissur Pooram Festival:
This is the temple festival. The devotees have been celebrating 200 years at Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur. The devotees worship Lord Shiva; the priests perform traditional puja for 36 continuous hours—the festival celebrations are conducted in April. Around 50 elephants pass through the streets with great Pomp during the festival celebrations.
Theyyam Festival:
This is one of the ancient festivals in Kerala. The festival is a combination of great fun and Pomp. During the celebrations, nearly 400 varieties of dances were performed with great pride. The theme of the dances revolved around mythological stories. The festival celebrates from December to April every year. People dressed as deities by adoring colours, flowers and masks. They dance rhythmically to bring pleasure to the spectators.
Kerala Boat Festival:
Kerala combines beautiful Lakes, Long Rivers, and the Arabian Sea. These are famous for their Boat races. The Kerala Boat races are famous all over India. The riders used different sizes of boats, and the group of riders showed team spirit and great enthusiasm. Many organizations conducted boat races. All significant lakes and river canals are busy with participants and spectators during this time. The boat festival is born between July to September.
Attukal Pongala Festival:
The festival is very famous and holds its record in the Guinness book of world Records for hosting a female crowd watching this festival celebration. All castes and creed people participated in this festival celebration. The festival is celebrated in February or March at Attukal Devi temple near Thiruvananthapuram. The devotees believe that Goddess Parvathi is incarnated as Attukal Devi. Many women attend the temple and offer Pongala to Goddess Attukal Devi.