Temple Festivals of Kerala
Encyclopedia
Kerala
which is often referred to as 'God's Own Country
' has a large number of Hindu temples. Many of the temples have unique traditions and most hold festivals on specific days of the year. Temple festivals usually continue for a number of days. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a holy flag which is then brought down only on the final day of the festival. Some festivals include Poorams
, the most famous of these being the Thrissur Pooram
. Temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol of the God in the temple is taken out on a procession around the country side atop this elephant. When the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts, and other offerings to the God. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam
or Panchavadyam
.
The major Hindu temple festivals in the state are Makaravilakku
at Sabarimala
, Thrissur Pooram
, Attukal Pongala in Trivandrum's famous Attukal
Temple, Utsavams in Padmanabha swamy Temple at Trivandrum, Ashtami at Vaikom temple
, Kodungalloor Bharani, Chettikulangara Bharani at Mavelikkara, Guruvayoor
Anayottam, Chottanikkara Makam and Sivarathri festival in Aluva
temple and Padanilam
temple at Mavelikkara
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
which is often referred to as 'God's Own Country
God's Own Country
God’s Own Country, often abbreviated to Godzone or less often Godzown, is a phrase that has been used for more than 100 years by New Zealanders to describe their homeland. It has subsequently been adopted by some other countries, notably Australia, but this has declined as the phrase has become...
' has a large number of Hindu temples. Many of the temples have unique traditions and most hold festivals on specific days of the year. Temple festivals usually continue for a number of days. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a holy flag which is then brought down only on the final day of the festival. Some festivals include Poorams
Pooram
Pooram is an annual temple festival held in central Kerala after the summer harvest. Most pooram festivals have at least one ornately decorated elephant being paraded in the procession taken out of the temple precincts...
, the most famous of these being the Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram
Pooram is one of the nakshatras or star in the Hindu panchangam. There are 27 Nakshatras in the Hindu panchangam and a million or more temples in Kerala, and this combination creates numerous possibilities for auspicious occasions, with each temple having varying importance for the different stars...
. Temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one richly caparisoned elephant as part of the festivities. The idol of the God in the temple is taken out on a procession around the country side atop this elephant. When the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts, and other offerings to the God. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam
Panchari melam
Panchari Melam is a percussion ensemble, canonically lasting more than four hours, performed during temple festivals in Kerala, India. Panchari Melam , is one of the major forms of chenda melam , and is the best-known and most popular kshetram vadyam genre...
or Panchavadyam
Panchavadyam
Panchavadyam, literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four -- timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idakka -- belong to the percussion category, while the fifth one, kombu, is a wind instrument.Much like any...
.
The major Hindu temple festivals in the state are Makaravilakku
Makaravilakku
Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on January 14 in Kerala, India at the shrine of Sabarimala. The festival includes the Thiruvabharanam procession and a congregation at the hill shrine of Sabarimala...
at Sabarimala
Sabarimala
Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in India with an estimated 45–50 million devotees visiting every year. Sabarimala is believed to be the place where the Hindu God Ayyappan...
, Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram
Pooram is one of the nakshatras or star in the Hindu panchangam. There are 27 Nakshatras in the Hindu panchangam and a million or more temples in Kerala, and this combination creates numerous possibilities for auspicious occasions, with each temple having varying importance for the different stars...
, Attukal Pongala in Trivandrum's famous Attukal
Attukal
Attukal is a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is situated about two kilometres to the south east from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram City....
Temple, Utsavams in Padmanabha swamy Temple at Trivandrum, Ashtami at Vaikom temple
Vaikom Temple
The Vaikom Mahadeva Temple is a temple for the Hindu god Shiva in Vaikom, Kerala.The temple, along with Ettumanoor Siva Temple, Kaduthuruthy Thaliyil Mahadeva Temple is considered a powerful trisome...
, Kodungalloor Bharani, Chettikulangara Bharani at Mavelikkara, Guruvayoor
Guruvayur Temple
Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus and is often referred to as "Bhooloka Vaikuntam" which translates to the holy abode of Vishnu on Earth...
Anayottam, Chottanikkara Makam and Sivarathri festival in Aluva
Aluva
Aluva , is a suburb of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Aluva is also a major industrial center of the state....
temple and Padanilam
Padanilam
Padanilam is a small town located near Nooranad in the Alappuzha district of Kerala. The word Padanilam means "land of war" .It is located on the banks of river Achankovil. The Padanilam temple is one of the important centres of worship in Kerala...
temple at Mavelikkara
Mavelikkara
Mavelikara is a town in Alappuzha district of Kerala, India, spread over an area of 12.65 km2. It is in the southern part of Alappuzha district on the banks of the Achankovil River. Mavelikara is located 8km east of National Highway. Mavelikara is known as the capital of...