Kerala Festivals

Kerala has a very long tradition of festivals from early days. Some of the older ones have long disappeared leaving only a memory of them today. Some of them are Mamankam (a festival held on the banks of Bharata-puzha at Tirunavai, every twelve years), Festival of the Moon etc. Let us forget these defunct festivals and turn to modern ones.

Hindu Festivals
Among the most celebrated of the Hindu festivals are the Onam, the Vishu, Tiruvatira, the Puram, the Maha Sivaratri, the Navaratri etc. Most of these festivals are celebrated gaily and
colourfully.

Onam
It is a harvest festival and is celebrated by Keralites all over the world irrespective of their religious persuasions. Therefore it is a national festival.
Onam falls due in the month of Chingam (August-September). The festival begins with the Athachamayam on the Atham asterism. The celebrations continue for a few days (four to seven) but the most important days of the festifal are Utradam and Tiruvonam. Tiruvonam is associated with great feasts. Presents are distributed by the head of the family to the junior members., tenants and servants. Some of the popular festivities are unjal attam, Talappandu, onathallu etc. It is during the Onam season that val-lamkalis are held. At present the Government of Kerala takes the initiative to organise the celebrations as a national festival.

Vishu
Vishu is on the first day of Medam (April-May). This is the day of beginning of the astronomical New year and all Hindus celebrate this festival. They believe that what meets the eye first on that day determines the nature of the fortunes that year. On the basis of this belief, the important ritual that is celebrated a connection with Vishu is Kanikanal. Several auspicious things are kept ready in the previous night so that every member a family is woken up in thee early hours of the day to see the kani. One special feature of Vishu is the distributions of coins to children and poor people by the eldest male member of the family. A usual accompaniment will be a feast.

Tiruvatira
Tiruvatira is a Nair women's festival which falls in the month of Dhanu (December-January). It recalls the death of Kamadeva and is necessarily celebrated by worship in a Siva temple by women and girls. Rice preparations are never given to them then. This festival is most popular in Central Kerala.

Puram
Puram is celebrated in the month of Meenam (March-April) in north Kerala. It is the counterpart of Tiruvatira. Unmarried girls offer worship to Kamadeva. Accompanying this festival come the Puja Vilakku and Purakali in temples.

Maha Sivaratri
Sivaratri is an important festival celebrated by all Hindus in Kumbham (February-March) in Siva Temples with prayers, pujas and abhishekams. It is usually in connection with Sivaratri that two festivals are held at Alwaye and Attappady valley. Following these festivals large fairs are also held.

Navaratri
Navaratri in Kerala is celebrated as Saraswati Puja. This is identical with Durga puja, Ayudha puja and Dassara celebrated in other part of India. Children are initiated into learning on the day of Vijayadasami. The month of Ch-ingam (August-September) witnesses special pujas in temples dedicted to Lord Krishna. Another festival is Thye puyam which is celebrated in the month of Makaram (January-February). Lord Subramonia is worshipped in this connection. Trikarthika which falls in Vrischikam (November-December) is yet another popular festival which is celebrated with illumination in the evening. These apart two agricultural festivals called ThyePongal and Mattu pongal are also observed in Kerala.
One of the most interesting festivals is the boat regattas or Vallamkalis, a speciality of Kerala. These boat races are religious in origin, but held with the co-operation of all castes and communities. These have become so famous that they attract large crowds of people from far and wide. Perhaps the most famous of the boat regattas are those organised at the Punnama-dakayal, Chambakulam, Aranmula, Payipad, Kottayam and Kumarakom. Most of these have an element of competition about them except that at Aranmula. the boatss that take part in these regattas are called snake boats or Chundan valiants. "It is an exhilarating sight to seee the participants in the boat regattas rowing their boats to the tune of the boat-songs sung in chorus and vying with one another in demonstrating their unbounded joy and enthusiasm."

Temple festivals
Apart from the above, there are certain temple festivals also which need recounting. Usually such festivals begin with flag hoisting (Kodiyettu). Arat (immersion of the deity) marks the end of the festival. Caparisoned elephants associated with such utsavam add to the grandeur and dignity of the function.
The Trichur Puram is a grand festival of Kerala. It falls due on the day of Puram asterism in Medam (April-May). This festival is conducted on a competitive basis by Tiruvambadi and Paramkekkavu, the two sections of Trichur town. The celebration has as its necessary features processions led by fifteen elephants on each side accompanied by Chenda Mela. The festival ends with fireworks. In all these, the two side compete with each other to present the better of the two.

Likewise streams of pilgrims are attracted to Sabari Mala in connection with the Mandate Puja and Makara Vilakku festivals. Those who go on pilgrimage are required to observe rigorous fast and penance. In recent years Sabari Mala festival is fast becoming a national festival.
Several other temple festivals are also celebrated in Kerala. Some of these are the Ashtami festival, Murajapam, the Arat festivals of Tri-vandrum and the Pongala festival of Attukal Bhagavati temple. Many more though celebrated cannot be listed for want of space.

Christian festivals
The Christians of Kerala join in the two major festivals celebrated all over the world, Christmas and Easter. The former is on the 25th of December and it recalls the birth of Christ. It is a time when special services are held in all churches, with a predominating carol singing. Likewise Christmas trees are arranged in homes and churches. It is usually a time of great merriment and feasts. Easter commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and is in April. The Holy Week which is in the Lent Season is the crucial part of Easter, when special prayers are offered. "Easter celebration has its accent on spirituality rather than festivity".
In addition to these described above, Christians also cdebrate annual Perunals. These are occasions to honour Saints. It is signilicant to remember that these Perunals are observed only by the Catholic and Jacobite churches. The Marthoma church which has little faith in rituals, never believes in concept of prayers for the dead and the invocation to the saints. Therefore, even its routine church ceremonies are made to centre round recital of hymns in praise of God and meditation of the scriptures. The name of the Marthoma Church is associated with the famous Maramon Convention (February) held every year, for one week, in which Bible study is the chief programme. It is attended by about one lakh of people every day and is considered to be the biggest religious gathering in Asia. This convention attracts world famous theologians and Bible scholars as the chief speakers.

Muslim festivals
The Muslims of Kerala have their festivals also. Most important of them are Bakrid (Id-ul-Azha), Ramzan (Id-ul-Fitr), and Milad-i-sharif. Bakrid commemorates the supreme sacrifice of Ibrahim (Abraham). It refers to the sacrifice of his only son to God in slavish obedience to His command. A great feast also marks the occasion. The Huj pilgrimage is made after Bakrid. Ramzan follows the Ramzan fast, which is so rigorous that they never eat or drink anything during day time. But at night they take the usual food. Night time is spent chiefly in prayer. Milad-i-sharif is the festival of the birth day of the prophet. During this time they arrange religious discourses in which learned Muslim (Ulemas) participate. In addition to these, several minor festivals are also celebrated by the Muslims.