Rhapsody of Colours (The Festivals of Kerala)

Nature’s bounty is not the only reason why Kerala is God's Own Country. It is also a land of festivals, replete with colours and sounds and spectacular sights. Festivals had been interwoven with the culture and tradition of the land from time immemorial.

Foremost among them is Onam, the famous harvest festival with Mahabali, the mythological king of Kerala as a reason for celebrating the festival. His rule was supposed to be a period which has prosperity and peace as its hallmarks. Every year, the land decks up in anticipation of the visit of its beloved king, who was sent to the nether world by one of Lord Vishnu’s incarnations – Vamana. Kerala celebrates Onam with great pride and joy, and each corner of the state echoes with the joyous sounds of native sports, art forms, processions and fairs and the inevitable floral decoration. Many temple festivals, boat races and agrarian events are also held during the Onam season.

In Kerala, many festivals are celeberated as part of temple rituals. Patayani is one such ritual celebrated in some of the temples dedicated Goddess Bhagavathi in Central Travancore. The month of December witnesses the arrival of the majestic Theyyams in North Kerala. Also known as Kaliyattam, Theyyam is an intricate blend of dance, mime and music, enshrining rudiments of the ancient tribal practice of worshipping heroes and ancestral spirits.

From February to mid-May is the season of Poorams and Velas, the temple festivals of northern Kerala. Among these, the Thrissur Pooram is a grand affair with the Vadakkumnatha Temple in Thrissur taking the centre stage of the event. The festival days are marked by processions comprising of caparisoned elephants, traditional orchestras, rituals inside and outside the temple and dazzling fireworks. All these are witnessed and enjoyed by an enthusiastic crowd, which adds to the whole excitement.

Just like the Thrissur Pooram, there are scores of other festivals that paint the days with vibrant colours and the nights with haunting beauty. Festivals never end in this land. As the day follows the night and seasons come one after the other, so do the festivals of Kerala.

The movie on festivals of Kerala, titled Rhapsody of Colours is presented in DVD format.