Kerala is a state of a thousand stories. Fondly known as “God’s Own Country,” Kerala has managed to merge age-old traditions with modern tourism. The state’s main attractions have always been its vibrant and immersive cultural festivals.
The festivals of Kerala bring together people from across the state in marvellous celebrations steeped in decadent cultural attire, traditional food, entertainment, and dance. However, not all of these festivals are celebrated all over the state.
Certain festivals are true to certain parts of Kerala, and each region has a different take and their own regional twist to their traditional pathway. That is why, when you come to Kerala, you have to visit every region to truly experience the depth and vibrancy of each Keralian festival.
Onam is a time of great celebration in Kerala. Communities come together to exchange cultural ideas through extravagant traditional meals and festivities as they honour the legend of King Mahabali.
It is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingam—which falls around August and September every year. It is marked as the beginning of the Malayalam calendar. Let’s look at why it is celebrated and its significance below. Ask any Keralite about Onam—and they will have a thousand memories to share.
Onam is a core part of Keralian traditions and folklore. The legend of Onam begins with the reign of King Mahabali, a benevolent ruler. The gods were not satiated by his benevolence and requested Lord Vishnu to intervene.
Lord Vishnu approached King Mahabali in his Vamana Avatar and asked Mahabali to grant him land equal to three of his steps. He then grew in size and covered the entire universe in 2 steps. Realising Lord Vishnu’s identity, Mahabali offered up his head for the final step.
Pleased with his devotion, Lord Vishnu sent Mahabali to Pathala (netherworld), where he was allowed to live in peace. He was also granted permission to visit Kerala once a year to see his devoted subjects
At MemoryTrain, our iconic Mahabali resin sculpture showcases a playful harmony between the legendary King Mahabali and Vamana, the 5th avatar of Vishnu. With an epic motorbike packed with Onam essentials, this piece vividly captures the festival's spirit.
Each of the 10 days of Onam has a separate significance. The first day of the festival is Atham. Atham is followed by Chithira, Chodi, Vishakam, Anizham, Thriketta, Moolam, Pooradam, Uthradom and Thiruvonam.
On the days leading up to Thiruvonam, the people prepare for the coming of King Mahabali. They decorate their homes with lamps that burn brightly, waiting for the king’s arrival. Each family designs and decorates a vibrant Pookalam (Flower rangoli) outside their entrances to please King Mahabali as he passes through each town.
The Onam Pookalam consists of elaborate flower patterns in front of homes and workplaces. Chalk designs are drawn onto the floor, and different flowers are shredded and placed within the designs to come up with glorious and festive floral arrangements.
Communities often bond by organising various games and activities that are conducted in and around Thiruvonam. There are traditional Chenda Kottu (Music ensembles with traditional musicians), Thiruvathira dances, and Puli Kali (a folk dance involving people dressed as tigers and hunters). MemoryTrain has created resin figurines that honour all three of these aspects of Onam, and they are available in our online store—go check them out!
The festivities don’t end there! As Thiruvonam approaches, the people of Kerala are enthralled by snake boat racing competitions. Each district of Kerala is represented by distinct, decorated snake boats that are filled to the brim with expert rowers who all compete for glory and pride.
You can see the spirit of this competition immortalised in our Snake Boat Race Resin Bookends, which are now available in our online store.
Thiruvonam is the main day of the festive Onam season. It is followed by Moonam Onam (third Onam) and Naalam Onam (fourth Onam), which is marked as the last day of Onam. During Thiruvonam the people of Kerala dress up in traditional Onam attire and celebrate the occasion with a decadent feast known as the Onam Sadhya.
The Onam Sadhya takes place on Thiruvonam and consists of rice served on a banana leaf surrounded by 26 distinct sides that celebrate Kerala’s culinary heritage. Families gather together and serve one another this decadent feast, going over nostalgic Onam memories while making new ones that will last a lifetime.
Visit our online store for more Onam Collections
Thrissur Pooram is a festival for the senses. Also known as “Poorangalude Pooram”, this festival embraces vibrant community gatherings with large displays of musical prowess, majestically decorated elephants, tremendous fireworks displays, and religious processions.
Initiated by Shakthan Thampuran in 1978, the festival quickly became a spectacle with no equal. The festival is a mainstay in the city of Thrissur at the Vadakkunnathan Temple. Shakthan Thampuran designated 10 temples in Thrissur to form the major part of the festivities, and they are divided into the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu sides, each composed of 5 temples.
Thrissur Pooram follows a sequence of events that lasts across 7 days every year. Each event has a special significance involved:
Vishu falls on the Mesha Sankranti and is considered a family festival. Devotees dedicate the day of Vishu to worshipping both Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna. The most important aspects of celebrating Vishu are Vishu Kani, Vishu Kaineettam and Vishubhalam.
Many mythological tales revolve around the day of Vishu.
As per tradition, on the night before Vishu, the eldest lady of the house prepares the prayer room with Lord Krishna’s idol. A metal lamp, known as the “Nilavilakku,” is lit next to the idol and accompanied by a vessel known as “Uruli”. The Uruli will be filled with omens of good fortune and prosperity, such as betel leaves, coconut raw rice, lemon, a holy book, jackfruit, a metallic mirror, cotton dhoti, coins or currency notes, and other totems.
On the day of Vishu, all the members of the family wake up by dawn with their eyes closed and go to the worship area of the house. The first sight of the Vishu Kani should be the image of the idol in the prayer room because it is believed to bring them good luck throughout the year. That’s why Vishu Kani is arranged with care and precision to create a positive picture.
After viewing their Vishu Kani, devotees recite verses from the Ramayana. It is believed that whatever page of the Ramayana is opened first by the devotee has great significance in their life for the coming year.
After the prayers are done, adults and children gather together to burst firecrackers from dawn to dusk. This is called “Vishu Padakkam,” and it is an important aspect of Vishu celebrations that is fun for the whole family. The final aspect of the day’s festivities is the traditional feast known as the “Vishu Sadhya.”
Theyyam is a traditional ritual that invokes the presence of the gods among their followers. The art of Theyyam is known to act as a bridge between the Gods and their devotees.
A document known as Keralolpathi talks about the rich mythology and history of Kerala’s inception. Parasurama, Lord Vishnu's sixth incarnation, was the one who recovered the land of Kerala from the depths of the sea. He sanctioned many festivals like Kaliyattam, Puravela, Daivattom, and Theyyattam for the devotees of the North Malabar region.
Theyyam is believed to have originated from Kaliyattam. The responsibility of performing the sacred Theyyam dance was handed over to indigenous tribal communities like the Malayar, Pana, Velan and Vannan tribes.
The patronage of Theyyam was placed into the hands of the Nambiars and the Thiyyas (Ezhava). Commonly, every Tharavadu had their own Theyyam festivals. Despite having patronage, Nairs were prohibited from performing the Theyyam dance.
Only the tribal communities were allowed to participate in the Theyyam rituals. The upper-caste devotees were required to participate in the Theyyam dance as spectators honouring the deities as they appear within the tribal artists who perform the dances and rituals.
The ritualistic performances involved in Theyyam do not take place on any stage. They are performed in front of the village shrine, which functions like an open theatre. Devotees gather around the artists and watch as the rituals take place for periods that can last between 12 to 24 hours.
The Theyyam dancer recites a specific ritual song alongside the rhythm of trained drummers. The song describes the myths and legends of the deity enshrined in the village. Other folk musical instruments also join in the ritual as it goes on.
After a short interval, the Theyya dancer appears in full traditional makeup that consists of specified patterns like vairadelam, kozhipushpam, kattaram, prakkezhuthu and kotumpurikam. Adorned in their specified makeup stylisation, the dancer appears once more in front of the shrine.
As ritualistic music plays, they slowly transform into the deity of the shrine. The dancer energetically moves through the determined steps of ritualistic dance as he makes his way across the courtyard and around the shrine multiple times.
You can read more about the Theyyam rituals on our website.
Kerala is known for its grand tradition of extravagant and competitive boat races. A large number of spectators gather around to watch Kerala’s signature snake boats go head to head in fast-paced competitions. Old boat songs echo from the snake boats as they keep rhythm to row to the finish line.
These snake boats, also known as “Chundan Vallam,” can be up to 100 feet long. Throughout the year, Kerala holds many distinct and energetic boat races and festivals. The most notable boat races are as follows:
Kerala is a land of many festivals. They are not just limited to the ones above—here are some of the other festivals that Keralites celebrate:
This takes place during New Year in Kochi. Every year, this festival is conducted by the District Tourism Promotion Council of Ernakulam, which serves as an attractive opportunity for tourists to mingle with the local crowd. At night, a giant bearded model that the people call Papanji is set on fire to bid goodbye to the previous year.
The Navaratri festival is nine days long. The three most important days during the festival are Durgashtami, Mahanavami and Vijayadashami. These days are reserved for worshipping the Goddess Durga.
During these days, devotees place items representing their education and employment within the temple for Ayudha Pooja, a ritual intended to bless their education/employment. On Vijayadashami, children write their first letters, and this is considered a good start to their studies and self-development.
Ramadan is a period of fasting that is honoured by Muslims around the world. It is sacred to the religion. After the fasting, Muslims offer prayers and break their fast on Eid al-Fitr. On this day, they throw large feasts and invite their friends and family to join in. The community gathers to share stories and eat great, hearty meals prepared in mosques and homes to mark the occasion of conquering the Ramadan fast.
Christmas is a global phenomenon. Initially, it was a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. However, the holiday has since evolved to include both Christians and non-believers alike.
In Kerala, the festival is celebrated with bright fireworks displays, delicious plum cakes, and groups of excited carolers going door-to-door to sing Christmas carols. Churches all over Kerala organise interesting displays of Jesus’s birthplace, the manger in Bethlehem. We have honoured this moment with our White Nativity Resin Set.
That’s not all. We also have a piece that consists of Santa on a boat in Kerala’s traditional attire delivering gifts. It is an eye-catching conversation piece filled with mystique and brimming with nods to Kerala’s age-old traditions.
Kerala is a state of many diverse beliefs. These beliefs merge together to unite the people in festivities filled with feasts and laughter.
Kerala’s festive spirit, coupled with its serene backwaters and its naturally preserved beauty, make it the perfect place to have a good time on your next trip!
When you head back, take a souvenir of your time from MemoryTrain. All our creations are specifically designed to be conversation pieces of all the marvellous moments you spent traversing God’s Own Country.
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