A visit to Kerala is incomplete if you haven’t experienced one of its beautiful ancient temple festivals. Here’s our guide to the best ones you can attend in the next few months…
Kerala’s unique temple festivals — called poorams or velas — recount the history of its people and showcase a land long known for its grip on traditional as well as contemporary practices. These have attracted hundreds of travellers from within and outside of India, and have also brought the locals together to give them a sense of purpose and unity.
Images: Susheela Menon.
Poorams are not only a joyful source of entertainment for children but also a fun way for them to connect with their customs through the myriad rituals they see during months that signal festivity. These age-old rituals are also a form of prayer for those that see local deities as guardian gods.
Not all poorams are the same though.
Some have the usual Ferris wheel and cotton candy with people dressed as gods and goddesses. There are raucous processions and firecrackers. There are carts selling roasted peanuts and fried aluva (halwa). There are traffic jams and policemen and bawling children.
Richer temples hire musicians, percussionists, and elephants. They engage artists skilled in classical and folk dances, especially the seductive Mohiniattam or the mystical Theyyam.
Famous Kathakali performances are also held to honour the spirit of storytelling through music and dance. Many spiritual leaders participate by gracing the event with talks centered around sacred texts.
Devotees are offered delicious servings of traditional delicacies like unniappams (sweet fried balls made of rice and bananas) and nei payasam (rice pudding with ghee). Some temples arrange elaborate feasts.
If Kerala is on your travel list this summer, here are a few places you could go to witness its spectacular temple festivals…
Andalur Kavu Theyyam
What: Andalur Kavu hosts a mesmerising Theyyam (ritualistic dance form) festival called Kaliyattam or Andalur Kavu Theyyam every year. Based on the stories of the Ramayana, this temple sees more than 10 Theyyams during the week-long festival.
When: February 13-19, 2023 | How: Andalur Kavu is in the Dharmadam village of Kannur district in the taluk of Thalassery, which is about 22 km from Kannur International Airport.
Chettikulangara Bharani
What: Held as a thanksgiving to Goddess Bhadrakali, the Chettikulangara Bharani attracts hordes of tourists and locals with captivating structures built to represent chariots, horses, and mythical gods from Hindu epics. These skillfully sculpted and decorated temple cars form part of a post-harvest festival that showcases the art, culture, and architectural splendour of this part of Kerala. The ceremonial procession of these temple cars (also called kettukazchcha) from 13 different points of Chettikulangara panchayat signifies the harmony embedded in the place along with gratitude for the deity that sits there.
When: February 25, 2023 | How: Chettikulangara is in the Mavelikkara taluk of Alappuzha district, which is 54 km away from Kochi International Airport.
Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy Pooram
What: The Chinakkathoor Bhagawathy temple hosts one of the most brilliant poorams. They have folk performances including traditional orchestra (panchavadyam) that is often seen marching along streets close to the temple. Don’t miss the pulikkali (leopard dance), an all-male performance with energetic beats and rhythmic movements.
When: March 6, 2023 | How: The temple is located in Palappuram near Ottapalam taluk in Palakkad, which is less than two hours away from Coimbatore International Airport.
Attukal Pongala
What: Held in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, Attukal Pongala has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest congregation of women on a single day. The festival saw 2.5 million women in 2019. Pongala — which means to boil over — is an all-female event where women cook a pudding made of rice, jaggery, coconut and bananas for the Mother of Attukal temple, a goddess fondly known as Attukalamma.
When: March 7, 2023 | How: Thiruvananthapuram is connected to all major airports in India.
Othera Patayani
What: Othera Patayani is a 10-day festival held in Puthukulangara Devi temple in Pathanamthitta. It sees the Patayani performance, a ritual art form performed by adorning masks made by drawing images on the leaves of the arecanut palm. The highlight of this festival is the Bhairavi kolam, which is made of 1001 painted areca nut fronds.
When: March 20-29, 2023 | How: Pathanamthitta is less than four hours away from Kochi International Airport.
Peruvanam Pooram
What: One of the oldest festivals in the world, the Peruvanam Pooram is hosted by the Peruvanam temple in Cherpu, Thrishur. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is carried atop an elephant along with a traditional percussion ensemble on pooram day when the district comes together to celebrate. The 1400-year-old festival attracts people from the entire state.
When: March 31, 2023 | How: Thrishur is less than an hour and half from Kochi International Airport.
Painkuni Festival
What: Who hasn’t heard of Sree Padmanabha Swami temple in Thiruvananthapuram? The discovery of secret vaults in the temple has led to it being declared the richest in the world in recent times. This centuries-old temple begins the 10-day Painkuni festival with the hoisting of a ceremonial flag.
The event later sees massive fibreglass figures of the Pandavas of Mahabharata placed at the eastern entrance to the temple to please the mythical rain god Indra. On the ninth day, the head of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore (which merged with Kochi in 1949, and then with Malabar and Kasargod to form the state of Kerala in 1956) performs the palli vetta (royal hunt) ritual by shooting a tender coconut with a bow and arrow. The last day sees the temple idols being immersed at Shanghumugham beach.
When: March 27-April 5, 2023 | How: Thiruvananthapuram is connected to all major airports in India.
Thrishur Pooram
What: The mother of all festivals, this elaborate spectacle was conceived by the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi who brought 10 temples together to organise an extravaganza with elephants, colorful parasols, sought-after percussionists, and fireworks. Thrishur Pooram is known for its parasol ceremony, which involves the swift changing of parasols by mahouts seated atop elephants that are brightly decorated for the event. It’s also known for the talent of its melam (a traditional music team) which lifts the masses to a state of bliss through skilled handling of the chenda (drum), kombu (wind instrument) and elathalam (cymbals).
When: April 30, 2023 | How: Thrishur is less than an hour and half from Kochi International Airport.
Kannambra Vela
What: A festival that marks the culmination of summer festivals in Palakkad, the Kannambra Vela is also known as Chakka Vela as it often comes at a time when the jackfruit (chakka in Malayalam) ripens. It is organised at the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple in Puthucode where two competing villages participate by staging processions with elephants and traditional music. Other interesting highlights include the Eedu Vedi (fireworks at noon) and a procession with the mythical goddess Bhagawathy’s sword and anklet.
When: May 25, 2023 | How: Palakkad is less than two hours away from Coimbatore International Airport.
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