Skip to content
Naksh.iq

FESTIVALS · KERALA · SEPTEMBER

Kerala festivals in September.

3 festivals this month — dates, locations, and travel tips.

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.

August-September (10 days)

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.

September (Onam period)

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.

August-October (once every 12 years)

ALSO ON NAKSHIQ

Eight more rooms in the magazine.

Guides

Visa, scams, food, packing.

Everything the guidebook won't tell you — written for India in 2026.

Blog

Field notes from the road.

Long-form reads on regions, festivals, and the offbeat circuit.

Road trips

Curated multi-day routes.

Driving itineraries with day-by-day stops, distance, and difficulty.

Collections

Themed reading lists.

Wettest places. Sacred lakes. Solo-female-safe. Curated cuts.

NakshIQ 100

The 100 best destination-months.

India's highest-scoring places, ranked across all 12 months.

The Window

Our weekly newsletter, archived.

One honest spread, every Sunday. The full back catalogue.

Skip list

What we'd skip — and what we'd do instead.

Overhyped places with honest alternatives.

First trip

Planning your first time in India.

Safety, scams, what to wear, food survival, solo female travel.