| » home » culture & festivals |
 |
| |
 |
| The Evolution Of A Culture |
| In ‘God’s own country’, the dances abound, the music mesmerises, traditions are passed on
as inheritances from one generation to the next, and the whole year is one long festival. Nature paints its
canvasses in heavenly shades as the inhabitants celebrate the spirit of the Gods. |
| |
 You could be searching for the Gods in one of Kerala’s innumerable temples, you could be partaking in one of the thousands of local traditions, or you could simply be sitting back and being hypnotized by one of its local dances. Whatever you do, we can promise one thing – your soul will not be untouched.
Over the centuries, different religions found their way to Kerala’s shores and were welcomed into the tolerant society’s folds. Buddhism and Jainism were the earliest recorded religions to come to Kerala. Hinduism was revived later and Buddhism and Jainism merged into the mother religion. Jewish people, fleeing persecution in their homeland, migrated to Kerala in the early centuries, the influence of which is seen in many Christian sects such as the Knanaya Christians of Kerala who are Jewish Christians. Christianity found its way to Kerala’s shores long before it reached Rome via the apostle St.Thomas. The Muslim community in Kerala, known as the Mapillas, was founded in the 7th century with the advent of the Arabs who came to trade. The land thus became a melting pot of different cultures which integrated with ease and continue to exist in harmony.
With the advent of the British in the late 18th century, the English language assumed importance. This brought about a tremendous impact on the life and culture of the people of Kerala. The state was therefore constantly subjected to the influence of multiple cultures. It was only at a much later stage that a distinctive culture began to take shape.
It is conjectured that Malayalam, the official language of Kerala, started developing as a separate language during this period. It was at this time that Ayurveda also took its roots in Kerala. Even today, it is practiced mostly in Kerala with the specialty of panchakarma, involving medicated oil massages. Because of the peculiar geographical features that nature has bestowed on it, Kerala is isolated from the rest of the country. This isolation is reflected in the myriad art forms that have evolved here over the centuries.
Elsewhere in India for example, the inspiration for art was manifested in the architectural marvels of the rock cut temples or in the magnificent murals of Ajanta caves. But, in Kerala, man found his own body as a supreme medium for artistic expression. The art form called ‘Chakyar koothu’, for example, is presented as a mono act, as in the early style of Sanskrit plays. In koodiyattam more than one actor takes part in the performance. Krishnanattam, ramanattam and Kathkali are other forms of art, which evolved in places of worship. Temples have also been the Centers of artistic expressions.
 Spirituality is a personal affair in Kerala with each religion respecting the others’ practices. Kerala’s population, a microcosm of the different religions that are practiced in India, is divided into equal number of Hindus, Christians and Muslims, each powerful in their own right. The pluralist nature of its many cultures resulted in a rich mix of traditions, rituals, dance and art forms, music, theatre and literature. Kerala therefore continues to offer the discerning traveler some of the finest spectacles of rich traditions, vibrant art forms and colorful festivals.
What make the festivities in the state outstanding is the fact that whilst each religion and community has its own unique festivals, each occasion is celebrated with a similar fervor. A spirit of oneness transcends all the diversity and the different ceremonies and rituals. The celebrations are rarely as flamboyant as they are in some other parts of the country. Festivities are conducted in a restrained fashion and age-old traditions are still followed as they always were.
 Onam: the ultimate harvest festival of the state Onam is one of the most prominent festivals celebrated by every religion and community across Kerala with equal pomp. It is celebrated for a period of 10 days during August/September. Onam largely remains a closed family festival in spite of its many festivities such as the Snake boat races, music and folk dances.
A harvest festival, Onam is also celebrated in honor of the legendary king Mahabali who is believed to have ruled the state and brought about prosperity to its people. Onam celebrates the return of Mahabali to Kerala each year. Floral decorations mark each home, business offices and courtyards during this festival. The celebrations include elaborate traditional meals served for the whole family on plantain leaves.
Snake Boat Races: welcome to the boat regatta. You would not want to miss the biggest water sport adventure of all times. With more than a dozen snake boats participating in the races manned by between 100- 120 oarsmen this is the world’s biggest team sport event. Snake boat races are amongst the most prominent events in Kerala, a land where more travelling was done on the waterways than by roads until a few decades ago. Snake Boat festivals are normally held during Onam season in the backwater districts of Alappuzha and Kottayam.
 Pooram: the word ‘pooram’ is Malayalam for temple festival and is celebrated annually on a day when a particular deity is honored with caparisoned elephant processions, music and dance performances, fireworks and other celebrations. Depending on the scale of the festival there could be up to 100 elephants lining up in a procession with an even larger entourage of musicians. In some poorams, instead of elephants you will witness huge effigies of bulls and horses being drawn into the temple grounds by the devotees. Poorams are normally held between October and April, and are more prominent in Central Kerala.
The most famous Pooram, hailed as the biggest annual fiesta in Kerala, is the Thrissur Pooram, which falls in April/May and is held in the temple town of Thrissur. The festival attracts millions of devotees and travelers each year and is marked by huge processions involving caparisoned elephants who finally stand in two lines facing each other. Groups of percussionists and musicians stand in between the rows of elephants and engage in friendly competition as the mahouts exchange colorful umbrellas as the music reaches a crescendo. The festivities continue till the evening. The grand finale is a brilliant display of fireworks.
Uthralikkavu pooram, Arattupuzha pooram, Nenmara vela, Chinakkathoor Pooram are the other famous poorams.
Bull Race: these races are part of agricultural festivals which are celebrated mostly after harvest. Pairs of bulls or buffaloes are raced across specially levelled and partially flooded paddy fields, about 80 meters long. One of the most prominent bull races, Anandappally Maramady, occurs during the onam season on the 15th of August.
 Thiruvathira: a women’s festival which falls in the months of December and January. On Thiruvathira, devotees throng to temples of the Hindu God Shiva for an early worship. Women traditionally undertake fasts on this occasion, culminating with the ‘Thiruvathirakali’ dance. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
