FAMOUS

FESTIVAL
S
-Allen George
Thomas
FESTIVALS:
KERALA
 ONAM
Between August and September

Onam is the most important and popular festival in

Kerala. Celebrated with much pomp and fervor, Onam
is a harvest festival. Onam is also called Thiruonam
and it is celebrated at the beginning of the month
Chingam of Malayalam calendar. In Kerala. Onam is
celebrated by everybody in the state irrespective of
their community, caste, creed and class.  It is also the
festival that marks the return of King Mahabali, who
sacrificed his life for his people.

There are four main days of Onam and the most

important is Thiru Onam. However, the celebration
starts ten days prior to Thiru Onam and each day has
its own significance. The most important part of the
celebration is the Sadya, the lunch on Thiru Onam.
Around 26 dishes are prepared and served on a
plantain leaf. Attending Onam Sadya is a great way to
experience the culture of the state through its food.
ONAM
 THRISSUR POORAM
April
Thrissur Pooram is one of the biggest temple
festivals in Kerala. Pooram means annual festival
celebrated on the day when the moon is seen with a
star called Pooram. And Thrissur Pooram is the
mother of all poorams of Kerala. It is held at
Vadakkunathan temple located in Thrissur in the
Malayalam month of Medam. It is celebrated in the
Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur.

Thrissur Pooram has been celebrated for

over 200 years in honor of Shiva. This
vibrant festival showcases the rich musical
heritage of the state. The celebration
includes traditional puja that lasts for
almost 36 hours.
 VALLAM KALI
Nehru Boat Race- second Saturday of August, other boat races- between July and September
Vallam Kali, which literally means boat
game or boat race, is held during the
monsoon season when the backwaters are
full. The race is not just a test to the speed
but also about skill and endurance. The
participants practice for days to take part in
the race. These boat races are a major crowd
puller. The beautiful boats competing with
each other are a marvelous sight.

The most important boat race is the Nehru Trophy

Boat Race, which is conducted in the Punnamada
Lake located close to Alappuzha. Nehru Trophy Boat
Race is held every year on the second Saturday of
August. Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted in the
memory of the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru.
FESTIVALS:
HIMACHAL
PRADESH
 KULLU DUSSEHRA
October
Kullu Dussehra is one of the most significant
festivals in Himachal Pradesh celebrated. In
Himachal Pradesh, a grand fair is organised every
year in the month of October in the Dhalpur
Maidan in the Kullu valley. Accorded as an
international fair, this mega festival has been
attracting thousands of tourists every year.
Around the seventeenth century, the then reigning
king Raja Jagat Singh sought penance for his
greedy acts by consecrating  Raghunath or Lord
Rama on his throne. This grand celebration has
been a ritual ever since.
The fair commences on Vijaya Dashmi and
continues for the next seven days. The grandeur
of the festivity is marked by the deity being
carried by a massive crowd of devotees. The Nati
dance, traditional to the valley, is performed with
folk music as the Kullu Brahmins perform rituals
and traditional bites are served.
 HALDA
Januar
y
Celebrated on the auspicious occasion of Magha
Purnima, Halda, One of the beautiful festivals in
Himachal Pradesh closely resembles Diwali, the
festival of lights. It is a 2-day grand carnival
celebrated in the secluded region of Lahaul
valley. This most-awaited festival of Himachal
Pradesh is all about family and community
gatherings, exotic traditional beverages and
regional delicacies. The valleys of Lahaul and
Keyong rejoice in exuberance with the two
perennial rivers nourishing life in them. 

A massive bonfire symbolizes the solidarity of the group,

adding visual charm to the festivity. 

Special offerings are made to the local deities and several

rituals are practiced in their reverence.
 LOSAR FESTIVAL
February
Losar, a religious festival of Himachal Pradesh to
celebrate the uniqueness of Tibetan ethnicity in
Himachal Pradesh. the new year according to the
Tibetan calendar. The festival is celebrated over a
span of fifteen days but its true grandeur is seen
from February 24 to February 26. Losar has its roots
in Tibetan Buddhism when the lamas decided upon
a date to celebrate an agrarian event. 
Historically, Losar marked the commencement of
blossoming of apricot trees. Over the years, it
emerged as the day marking the new year.

The valley of Dharamshala echoes with the

pulsating folk music accompanied by rhythmic
thumps of Chham, the folk dance. People make
special cakes (Kapse) and alcoholic beverages
(Chang). Lamas light butter lamps signifying
Buddha’s enlightenment.