Navarathri Music Festival
If you are an avid lover of music, welcome! The nine-day long music fiesta called Navarathri Music Festival, which fills the evenings of Thiruvananthapuram with intricate compositions, will surely be an enchanting experience for you. The event features some of the exquisite kritis (compositions) of King Swathi Thirunal, the music maestro who ruled the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.
The venue, Navarathri Mandapam, is a pavilion beautifully decorated with flowers for the eve and the sweet smell of sandalwood and camphor provides the perfect mood. Connoisseurs of music come to enjoy the nine-day classical music festival.
The music festival venue has an indigenous acoustic technology in place. These are in the form of earthen pots, kept in place, by means of coir ropes, tied around the necks from one pot to another. The mouths of these pots open down towards the ground. The pots are of different sizes and thickness with their mouths having different measurements. They are not uniformly arranged and are kept in different angles to act as sound reflectors and to prevent echoes.
Event Date : September 30, 2008 - October 8, 2008
Venue: Navarathri Mandapam, Fort Palace Complex, Thiruvananthapuram
Nearest airport: Cochin, about 110 km away. | |
Eid ul Fitr
Visit Kerala on the eve of Eid ul fitr, the mood of devotion in the air will make you spellbound. The festival is celebrated to mark the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. On the day of Id, the faithful attend special group prayers held in mosques and large grounds. Following this, people embrace each other, greeting 'Id Mubarak', conveying the spirit of love, peace and co-operation. The spirit of festivity goes high in the wearing of new clothes and visiting the homes of friends and relatives. To the special feast of the day, members from the other communities are invited.
Event Date : 01.10.2008
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Vijayadasami
Devotion, the touch of sanctity... you will feel overwhelmed on the occasion of Navaratri, the nine-day long festival. The festival, celebrated all over India under different names, is dedicated to the Mother Goddess, who is worshipped in different forms, like Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and Saraswathy (goddess of knowledge).
In Kerala, a ritual called Poojavayppu is performed on Durgashtami, the eighth day of the festival. This ceremony held in temples and households involves placing of books and other tools meant for learning and also implements used for working, before the goddess, to seek her blessings for the coming year. The next day, known as Mahanavami, all work and learning are suspended.
The tenth day, Vijayadasami, is considered to be the most auspicious day to begin new ventures. The books and tools offered to the goddess are taken back with a ceremony named 'Poojayeduppu' Another hallmark of this day is the Vidyarambham ceremony, in which small children are initiated into the world of letters by elders. This ceremony is held in temples as well as in various cultural institutions
Event Date : 09.10.2008 | |
Koratty Muthy's feast
A church festival with a rustic charm- it is Koratty Muthy's Feast, one event that you should not miss. It is celebrated in the second week of October at St. Mary's Church in Koratty, a picturesque village in Thrissur district. The festival is dedicated to Virgin Mary, locally known as Koratty Muthy. Hundreds of devotees attend this feast, which is marked by many rituals and colourful pageantry.
Event date: 12.10.2008
Venue: St. Mary's church, Koratty, Thrissur | |
Deepavali
Deepavali, literally meaning the row of lights, is a fascinating festival of Kerala. Though the festival is celebrated all over India, Deepavali in Kerala has some rituals and festivities to claim as its own. It will be a remarkable experience for you to have a walk in the night of Deepavali, with the tranquil light of oil lamps embracing the land with a subtle charm, to be hindered by the occasional sounds of crackers.
The festival falls on the preceding day of the New Moon in the Malayalam month of Thulam (October- November). It is celebrated in commemoration of the destruction of the demon Narakasura by Lord Krishna.
Event Date : 27.10.2008 | |
Parumala Perunnal
Christian festivals in Kerala have their own unique charm. You may come across one such festival at Parumala Church in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the death anniversary of Mar Gregorios Metropolitan, the declared saint of the Malankara Orthodox Church of Kerala. The bishop is interred in the church. During the commemorative feast, special prayers are offered and rituals are performed. A ceremonial procession is another speciality.
Event Date : November 2, 2008
Venue: Parumala Church, Pathanamthitta
Nearest railway station: Thiruvalla, about 11 km away.
Nearest airports: Cochin International Airport, about 105 km from Thiruvalla | |
Aratt at Padmanabha Swamy Temple
If you are visiting Thiruvananthapuram this November, do not forget to witness the Aratt (holy bath) festival and procession at Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. The festival is marked with many solemn and grand ceremonies. On the 'Arattu' day idols of Sree Padmanabha Swamy, Sree Krishna and Sree Narasimha are carried along the three mile route to the 'arattu mandapam' situated at Shanghumukham beach on the shores of the Arabian Sea. This ritual is known as Arattu procession. Another interesting feature of the festival is that the international airport of Thiruvananthapuram closes for the occasion since the procession crosses the airfield.
Two 'arattus' are held each year as closing ceremonies of the two annual festivals (Alpasi and Painguni) here. The procession is escorted by members of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore and armed police contingents.
Event Date : November 6, 2008
Venue: Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
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Rathotsavam, Kalpathy
The aura of the ages and divinity that surrounds you… it is Kalpathy, a hamlet in Palakkad. Kalpathy Rathotsavam is the annual chariot festival celebrated in the Sree Viswanatha Swamy Temple here. The temple is over 700 years old. Vedic recitals and a spectacular procession of beautifully decorated temple chariots drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees (Rathotsavam) are the highlights of the festival.
Starts on: November 13, 2008
Ends on: Novemeber 15, 2008
Venue: Sree Viswanatha Swamy Temple, Kalpathy, Palakkad
Vaikkathashtami
You should never miss this splendid temple festival if you are in Kerala this November. Vaikom, a town near Kottayam, is known for its Mahadeva Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The annual festival here, known as Vaikkathashtami is celebrated here in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam. On the day of Ashtami, the most prominent day of the festival, the Thidampu ( an idol in which the presence of the deity is invoked) of Lord Shiva (known here as Vaikom Mahadevar) is taken out in procession. On its way, many deities from nearby temples join the procession. The cultural fare includes classical music and dance performances including night-long Kathakali performances.
Event Date: 20-11-2008
Venue: Mahadeva Temple at Vaikom, Kottayam
Nearest railway stations: Ernakulam, about 36 km towards the north; Kottayam, about 40 km towards the south.
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 56 km away.
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