Temples

One of Kerala’s most intense and unconventional festivals, the Kodungallur Bharani is celebrated annually at the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple in the Malayalam month of Meenam. It is world-renowned for the Kavu Theendal ritual, where thousands of sword-wielding oracles (Velichappadus) dressed in scarlet robes storm the temple in a trance-like state to pay homage to the Goddess. A unique and controversial tradition of this festival is the singing of Bharani Pattu, provocative and bawdy ballads believed to appease the deity’s fierce energy. Historically, this festival was a landmark for social equality, as it was one of the few occasions where all castes were permitted to enter the temple long before the general temple entry proclamations. The 2026 festivities are expected to reach their peak between April 4 and April 10, drawing a massive congregation of devotees to witness this raw display of ancient faith and energy.

Pulikali is a high-energy folk art performed on the streets of Thrissur on the fourth day of Onam, where hundreds of men paint their bodies as tigers and leopards to dance to the rhythmic beats of traditional percussion. This 200-year-old “Tiger Play” features pot-bellied performers mimicking a hunt through the Swaraj Round, creating a vibrant, carnivalesque finale to Kerala’s harvest festival.

Celebrated with immense spiritual fervor, Guruvayur Ekadasi is observed at the Sree Krishna Temple in the Malayalam month of Vrishchikam (Nov/Dec). The day is uniquely significant as it marks Gita Jayanti, the day Lord Krishna is believed to have imparted the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. A touching highlight of the festival is the memorial service for the legendary temple elephant, Gajarajan Guruvayur Kesavan, who passed away on an Ekadasi day in 1976. During the festivities, the temple remains open for nearly 48 hours, and thousands of devotees gather to witness the Ekadasi Vilakku, a mesmerizing display of thousands of oil lamps illuminating the temple premises. The event concludes with a grand elephant procession, symbolizing deep devotion and the rich cultural heritage of the “Bhooloka Vaikuntha.”

Often hailed as the “Mother of all Poorams,” the Arattupuzha Pooram is regarded as the oldest temple festival in Kerala, with a history spanning over 1,400 years. Held at the Sree Sastha Temple in the village of Arattupuzha, it is celebrated as a “Devamela” (Conclave of Gods), where deities from 23 neighboring temples are believed to gather to pay homage to Lord Ayyappa. The grandest highlight occurs on the final night when nearly 60 to 80 caparisoned elephants assemble in a massive line-up, creating a breathtaking visual against the rhythmic backdrop of the Sasthavinte Melam (a percussion ensemble of over 200 artists). The festival concludes at dawn with the Arattu, a ceremonial holy dip of the deities in the Karuvannur River, symbolizing spiritual purification. For 2026, the main festivities are expected to reach their peak on April 3, drawing thousands of devotees to witness this ancient tradition of divine congregation.

Widely celebrated as the “Mother of all Poorams,” Thrissur Pooram is a 36-hour grand spectacle held annually at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in the Malayalam month of Medam. Established in 1798 by Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Cochin, the festival was envisioned as a massive cultural gathering to unite ten neighboring temples into two competing groups. The event is world-renowned for its Kudamattom ceremony, where two rows of fifteen caparisoned elephants engage in a rhythmic and competitive exchange of vibrant, multicolored parasols. Accompanying the visual grandeur is the Ilanjithara Melam, a soul-stirring percussion ensemble featuring over 200 artists playing traditional instruments like the chenda and elathalam. The festivities reach a breathtaking finale with a massive display of pyrotechnics that lights up the early morning sky, drawing millions of spectators from across the globe.