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Thiruvonam Festival
By Dr.A.Sreekumar Menon
Before discussing the various aspects of Thiruvonum festival, it is perhaps apt to give a synoptic view of the land –Kerala and its traditional culture and social fabric. Kerala which is called as “God’s own country” is a narrow fertile strip of land on the south coast of India . On the west it is surrounded by western ghats or Sahyadri range of mountains .There are different legends as to how Kerala got its name. One view is that it is land of’ Kera vrisha ‘or coconut palms, which is also called’ Kalpatharu’ meaning giver of whatever we wish. All parts of Coconut tree are useful to man .Coconut groves in back waters and in plains adds to panoramic landscape .It is also a major crop , on which thousands depend upon their livelihood .Coconut kernel and coconut water form nutritious food items . Another view is that Kerala was under the golden rule of’ Chera ‘dynasty who ruled around1st century B.C. .From cheralam came the word Keralam. Another epic view is that the land of Kerala was the gift of Parasurama, one of the ten Avatars of Mahavishnu, the supreme Hindu deity, who is believed to be the creator of the universe. It was believed that the land was immersed under sea and Lord Parasurama retrieved it from the sea by throwing his axe and gifted it to the people. May be because of this it has rich alluvial soil. Kerala history is linked with another fifth avatar or incarnation of Vishnu, Vamanaavatar who gave liberation to Mahabali, grandson of Phrahlada, the incident of which is commemorated as Oman festival. Both Prahlada and Mahabali were staunch devotees of Lord Vishnu. It is the birth place of Aadi Shankara, who propounded the Advita philosophy, according to which the religious beliefs of people should go beyond ritualism and Tantric practices and should encompasses universal love and perception of divinity in all the creations.
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Kerala, known as ‘God’s own country’ because of its enchanting natural beauty, attracts thousands of tourists every year. Some of the reasons for this are its backwaters, beaches, waterfalls, boat cruises, food, spices, ayurvedic health care, temples, monuments and colorful festivals. There are quite a lot of both cultural and religious festivals, which have been celebrated in Kerala for years from ancient days. Dance and music form an important part of all festivals, and the festivities and celebration continue the whole year through, thus attracting tourists and making Kerala a land of fairs and festivals.
photo credit: George Augustine
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Talking of festivals, the most important festival of Kerala is Onam. Onam is the largest and the most popular festival celebrated by all the people living in Kerala, irrespective of religion. This long 10 days colorful festival falls between mid August and mid September which is the Malayalam month ‘Chingam’, the first month in the Malayalam calendar. The festival is celebrated all over the State with flower carpets, song, dance, new clothes and the traditional feast called the ‘Onam Sadhya’. Though it is a Hindu festival, it is also celebrated by Christians and Muslims, both by the wealthy and poor as one festival. According to fables, Onam is celebrated to welcome the vanquished king ‘Mahabali’, who it is believed will visit the people of Kerala every year during this period. In front of most of the houses, we find colorful ‘Pookalam’ or Floral Rangoli, for 10 days, and we can also find many pookalam competitions held in different places. In fact Pookalam competitions are conducted by Malayalee Associations all over the world. The traditional food ‘Sadhya’ served on plantain leaf, and the mouth watering ‘Payasam’ are a real delicacy. Another attraction during Onam is the boat race events.
photo credit: challiyan
‘Vishu’ is the next top festival of Kerala, celebrated by the Hindu religion in the month of May, which is the 1st day of the New Year according to the malayalam calendar. The day starts with the ‘Kanikanal’ where every one is brought blind-folded to see the ‘Kani’ which consists of the idol or photo of Lord Krishna, and other items like fruits, rice, cons, coconuts and Kanikonna (the flower of Kerala) and the eldest member of the family give money to other members of the family and bless them with wealth and happiness. Crackers are burst in the early morning of this auspicious day.
photo credit: riasnelli
Trissur Pooram, another top festival of kerala, attracts thousand of people and tourists every year and is the most spectacular festival of Kerala, dating back to over 200 years. The firework display, panchavadhiyam or the rhythmic beating of drums, the procession of 50 or more elephants and the colorful umbrella changing ceremony, forms the important events of this festival.
Thiruvathira, a festival for the women folks, meant to bring marital happiness, is also an important festival in Kerala. This festival which is said to celebrate the death of cupid is celebrated between mid December and mid January. Early morning bath in the river, splashing water and singing songs, visting the Lord Shiva’s temple and the ‘Thiruvathirakali’, a dance by women, form the main events of this festival.
The sabarimala temple festival is also a very popular festival of Kerala. This festival is celbrated in the Ayyapan temple in Sabarimala, and the most important day of this festival is the ‘Makara Jyothi’ a light seen on the 14th of January.
photo credit: zoom_artbrush
Other festivals celebrated in Kerala are Christmas, Easter, Bakrid, Ramzan, Thrikarthika, Shivarathiri, Navarathiri, Ashtami Rohini, Vinayaka Chathurthi and Deepavali.
With these numerous festivals falling across the year, it is not surprising that tourists who visit Kerala, really enjoy their stay here and take back home wonderful memories.
A slideshow of 100 plus images from this years kalpathy Ratholsavam
