festivals of Kerala

Cultural    

Onam
Onam is a harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India.  It is also the state festival of Kerala with State holidays on 4 days starting from Onam Eve (Uthradom) to the 4th Onam Day. Onam Festival falls during the Malayalam month of Chingam (Aug - Sep) and marks the commemoration of Vamana avatara of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of King Mahabali. Onam is reminiscent of Kerala's agrarian past, as it is considered to be a harvest festival.
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Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram  is one of the most popular temple festivals of the South Indian state Kerala. It is held at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur town every year on the 'Pooram' day of the Malayalam Calendar month of 'Medam'. 'Pooram' day is the day when the moon rises with the Pooram star
   
Vallamkali
Vallam Kali is a traditional boat race in Kerala, India. It is a form of canoe racing, and uses paddled war canoes. It is mainly conducted during the season of the harvest festival Onam in autumn. Vallam Kali includes races of many kinds of paddled longboats, the traditional boats of Kerala.

Sivagiri pilgrimage
Sivagiri is a pilgrimage centre in Varkala, India where one of its social reformer and sage Sree Narayana Guru's tomb is located and place where guru was enlightened and got the salvation. The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru here attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days 30 December to 1 January.
The Sivagiri Mutt, built in 1904, is situated at the top of the Sivagiri hill near Varkala. Even decades after the guru died here in 1928; his samadhi continues to be thronged by thousands of devotees, donned in yellow attire, from different parts of Kerala and outside every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days - 30 December to 1 January.
Christmas
The festival of universal love, Christmas is widely celebrated in Kerala. Christmas, which is more than a festival, is the solemn occasion to remember Jesus, his life and ultimate sacrifice and his message of compassion and brotherhood. The birth of Jesus Christ on December 25 each year sees a variety of customs and ceremonies.
IFFK
Both as an industry and as an art form Malayalam cinema faced uphill challenges by the end of the last century. Grooming better cinematic sensibility among the people with the support of film societies was one important task. Finding avenues abroad for filmmakers was another. Smoothening the relation between the Government and film bodies and among the film bodies themselves was urgently required.
 
Religious
Beemalli Uroose
Beema Palli is a shrine located on the Beach Road, 5 km south west of the Railway station.  The shrine is dedicated to Beema Beevi, a Muslim women believed to have had divine powers and the festival is held in her memory. The 10 day festival commemorates the death anniversary of Beema Devi and begins on the 1st of the Hijra month of Jamadul -Akbar (March -April). The 10th day is considered to be the most auspicious.
Vettukad Church
The official name of Vettucaud Church is "Madre-de-Deus" church. “Madre” a Portuguese word meaning “mother”, “de”- meaning “of” and “Deus” a Latin word means “God”. Thus Madre-de-Deus is Mother of God. This is a clear evidence of the fact that there existed a good number of faithful Christians in Vettuicaud long back from 15th century onwards.
Aluva Sivarathri
Sivarathri celebrated in Aluva, a place in Ernakulam district of Kerala, south India is called the Aluva Sivarathri festival. The celebration of Sivarathri in Aluva is very famous in Kerala. The month of Kumbham is noted for the Sivarathri festival which falls in February - March. Aluva Sivarathri is celebrated at the Siva temple on the banks of Periyar River and this place is called the Aluva Manal Puram.

Vallarpadam Basilica
The Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam is a famous centre of pilgrimage. People from all parts of Kerala and outside, irrespective of caste or creed go to the church to seek the blessings of Mary, the mother of Jesus, popularly known as "Vallarpadathamma".

This is an ancient Christian Church built in 1524. Portuguese merchants headed by Vasco da Gama enthroned this miraculous picture of Our lady of Ransom at the shrine. The church was dedicated to the Holy Spirit, which was the first of its kind in Asia.
 
The Maramon Convention
The Maramon Convention, the largest Christian convention in the world, is held at Maramon, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India annually during the month of February on the vast sand-bed of the Pampa River next to the Kozhencherry Bridge.  It is organised by the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, the missionary wing of the Mar Thoma Church.