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FESTIVAL CALENDAR · KERALA · 022

Festivals in Kerala.

22 festivals across Kerala — organised by month.

January

Cherai Pooram (Gowreeswara Temple Festival)

Cherai Beach

Annual festival at the 1912-built Gowreeswara Temple (also called South Pazhani) featuring Kavadi Utsavam honoring Lord Subramanian and the spectacular Pooram procession. The festival showcases 20–30 caparisoned elephants with gold-plated caparisons, decorated with bells and necklaces. Traditional offering: Ilaneer abhishekam (tender coconut ablution). Concludes with Arattu (ritual bathing of the deity).

Malabar Mahotsavam

Kozhikode (Calicut)

Cultural festival celebrating Malabar's heritage. Classical music, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kalaripayattu, and a massive food festival featuring Malabar biryani and halwa competitions.

Bekal Fort Festival

Bekal

Cultural festival at the historic Bekal Fort. Theyyam performances, Yakshagana theatre, Kalaripayattu demonstrations, local food stalls, and folk art exhibitions against the fort-and-sea backdrop.

Periyar Flower Show

Thekkady (Periyar)

Annual flower exhibition at Periyar featuring Western Ghats endemic species, orchid displays, and spice flower collections. Held against the backdrop of Periyar Lake.

February

Marari Mahadeva Arattu (Temple Festival)

Marari Beach

Annual 10-day festival at the 700-year-old Mararikulam Sree Mahadeva Temple (one of India's oldest, uniquely depicting Mahadevan and Parvathi face-to-face). Festival commences with flag hoisting 10 days before Arattu. Features traditional Kerala performing arts (Kathakali, Chakyar Koothu, Nangyar Kooth), melam music, fireworks, and caparisoned elephants. Concludes with Arattu—ritual bathing of the deity in the sea.

Ashtamudi Craft & Coir Festival

Kollam

Festival celebrating Kollam's coir (coconut fibre) and cashew heritage. Coir craft demonstrations, boat races on Ashtamudi Lake, cashew tasting, local art exhibitions.

March

Attukal Pongala

Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)

The world's largest gathering of women. Over 3 million women cook payasam (rice pudding) simultaneously on portable hearths lining the streets around Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. Guinness World Record holder.

April

Thangal Para Uroos (Sufi Pilgrimage Festival)

Vagamon

Annual Urs (pilgrimage) festival at Thangal Para, a Muslim pilgrimage centre 5 km from Vagamon at 2,500m elevation. Honors Sheikh Fariduddin, a revered 13th-century Sufi saint from Afghanistan. Thousands of devotees gather on this sacred day to offer prayers. Traditional sweet dish Ganjusakkar is made and distributed to all attendees.

Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur

India's greatest temple festival. 100 caparisoned elephants face off in two groups at Vadakkunnathan Temple. Panchavadyam percussion orchestras of 200+ musicians. Competitive fireworks lasting 3+ hours through the night. 1 million+ spectators.

August

Nehru Trophy Boat Race

Alleppey (Alappuzha)

The most spectacular water sport in India. 100-foot long snake boats (chundan vallam) with 100+ rowers race on Punnamada Lake. Thousands watch from the shore and boats. The finish is thunderous.

September

Aranmula Boat Race

Alleppey (Alappuzha)

The oldest boat race in Kerala, predating Nehru Trophy. Snake boats race on the Pamba River near Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. More ritualistic and spiritual than the Nehru Trophy. Boats are never painted.

Neelakurinji Bloom

Munnar

The Neelakurinji flower (Strobilanthes kunthiana) blooms once every 12 years, covering entire hillsides in blue-purple. The last bloom was 2018, next expected around 2030. When it happens, it is one of nature's greatest spectacles.

Alleppey Houseboat Onam

Alleppey (Alappuzha)

Onam celebrations on houseboats — special Onasadya (feast of 26+ dishes on banana leaf) served aboard kettuvallam. Decorated boats, Thiruvathira dance on deck.

November

Guruvayur Ekadashi

Guruvayur

The most important festival at Guruvayur Krishna Temple. Elephant processions, all-night singing, thousands of oil lamps. Lakhs of devotees. The temple courtyard becomes a sea of devotional energy.

Chalakudy River Festival

Athirapally Falls

River conservation festival celebrating the Chalakudy River ecosystem. Nature walks, documentary screenings, river cleanup, and community events. Emphasizes the campaign to protect Athirapally from hydroelectric projects.

Mandala-Makaravilakku Pilgrimage Season

Sabarimala

The major 41-day pilgrimage season at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple begins in early November (Vrishchikam Malayalam month) and culminates in mid-January (Makarasankranthi). The Mandala Pooja marks the midpoint, while Makaravilakku (lighting of the sacred lamp at nearby Ponnambalamedu) signals the season's end. Hundreds of thousands of devotees undertake this sacred pilgrimage.

Theyyam Season

Kannur

Kerala's most electrifying ritual art. Performers transform into deities with elaborate costumes, face paint, and towering headgear. Enter trance states and perform superhuman feats. Hundreds of different Theyyam forms across North Kerala temples.

December

Kovalam Literary Festival

Kovalam

Beach-side literary festival featuring Indian and international authors, discussions, music, and culture. Held at the beachfront hotels. Intimate compared to Jaipur Lit Fest.

Wayanad Food Festival

Wayanad

Celebration of Malabar and tribal cuisine. Bamboo rice dishes, wild honey tastings, tribal cooking demonstrations, spice garden tours, and cook-offs.

Cochin Carnival

Kochi (Fort Kochi)

Fort Kochi's Christmas-New Year festival. Beach sports, music, food stalls, art exhibitions, and the famous burning of Pappanji (old year effigy) on New Year's Eve. Colonial-era tradition.

Varkala Sivagiri Pilgrimage

Varkala

Pilgrimage to the Sivagiri Mutt of Sree Narayana Guru, Kerala's greatest social reformer. Thousands of followers march to the hilltop in white. Discussions on social reform, education, and equality.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale

Kochi (Fort Kochi)

Asia's largest contemporary art exhibition. Fort Kochi transforms into an open-air gallery — warehouses, heritage buildings, and public spaces become art venues. International and Indian artists.

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