View source for Temple festivals of Kerala

{{Short description|Special festivals observed in temples of Kerala}}
{{moresources|date=July 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
[[File:ThrissurPooram-Kuda.jpg|thumb|[[Thrissur Pooram]]]]
[[File:Edappon_Nandikeshan_Padanilam.jpg|thumbnail|right|View of a huge Sivarathri]]
[[Kerala]], a state in southwestern India, has many [[Hindu temples]]. Many of the temples have unique traditions and most hold festivals on specific days of the year. Temple festivals usually continue for a number of days. A common characteristic of these festivals is the hoisting of a holy flag which is then brought down only on the final day of the festival. The largest festival in kerala in [[Pooram]] category is [[Arattupuzha Pooram]] at [[Arattupuzha Temple|Arattupuzha temple]] and in [[Utsava|Ulsavam]] category is [[Vṛścika|Vrishchikolsavam]] of [[Thrippunithura|Thripunithura]] [[Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple]]. Some festivals include the most famous of these being the [[Thrissur Pooram]]. Temples that can afford it will usually involve at least one [[Elephants in Kerala culture|richly caparisoned elephant]] as part of the festivities. The idol of the God in the temple is taken out on a procession around the countryside atop this elephant. When the procession visits homes around the temple, people will usually present rice, coconuts and other offerings to the God. Processions often include traditional music such as [[Panchari melam]] or [[Panchavadyam]]. The festivals of Kerala are famous around the globe due to its diversity of experience.<ref>[http://www.manoramaonline.com/style/festivals-and-religion.html Festival news Kerala]</ref>

==Major temple festivals==
Common religio-cultural festivals celebrated all across Kerala are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Festival !! Date^
|-
|[[Arattupuzha Pooram]]|| March/April
|-
|[[Vishu]]|| April 14/15
|-
|[[Mahashivaratri]]|| February/March
|-
|[[Krishna Janmashtami]]||August/September
|-
|[[Navaratri]]||September/October
|-
|[[Deepavali]]||October/November
|}
{{Box|background=#FFFFCC|border size=0.1px|text align=left|
^{{font|size=75%|''In [[Kerala]], festival dates are decided in accordance with the<br>[[Malayalam calendar]] and the local [[traditions]] and customs.<br>Overlapping [[Gregorian calendar]] months are used instead.''}}
}}
The major temple festivals of Kerala are:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.keralatourism.org/festivalcalendar|title = Festival Calendar}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Festival !! Venue 
|-
|Vrishchikotsavam || Sree Poornathrayeesa, Tripunithura  
|-
| [[Arattupuzha Pooram]] || Arattupuzha, Thrissur
|-
| [[Makaravilakku]]  || [[Sabarimala]], Pathanamthitta
|-
| [[Attukal Pongala]] || [[Attukal]] Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
|-
|Vrishchikotsavam || Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple
|- 
|Kaaliyootu
|Major Vellayani Devi Temple
|-
| Utsavams || [[Padmanabhaswamy Temple]], Thiruvananthapuram
|-
| Ashtami || [[Vaikom Temple]], Kodungalloor Bharani
|-
| [[Chembai Sangeetholsavam]] || [[Guruvayoor]]
|-
| [[Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani]] || [[Chettikulangara Devi Temple]], [[Mavelikara]]
|-
| [[Maha Shivaratri]] || Aluva Temple, [[Maradu]]
|-
| [[Maha Shivaratri]] || [[Padanilam]] Parabrahma Temple, [[Mavelikkara]]
|-
| Ponkalamaholsavam || [[Anikkattilammakshethram]], [[Mallappally]]
|-
| Thiruvabharana Ghoshayathra || [[Valiyakoickal Temple]], [[Pandalam]]
|- 
| Vela || [[Nenmara]], Vallanghy
|-
|-
| Cheriyanad Pallivilakk Kettukazhcha Ratholsavam || [[Cheriyanad Balasubramanya temple , Cheriyanad , Alappuzha ]]
|-
| [[Kalpathi Ratholsavam]] || Kalpathi, Palakkad
|-
| Adoor Gajamela||Sree Parthasarathy Temple, Pathanamthitta
|-
| [[Thaipooyam]] Mahotsavam||Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple, Harippad, Cheriyanad Balasubramanya temple
|-
| [[Thaipooyam]] Mahotsavam, Koorkancherry||Koorkancherry Sree Maheswara Temple, Thrissur
|-
| Machattu Mamangam||Machattu Thiruvanikavu Temple, Thrissur
|-
| Ezhara Ponnana||Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple, Kottayam
|-
|Mannarasala Ayilyam||Sree Nagaraja Temple, Mannarasala, Alappuzha
|-
| Ayilyam Festival at Vettikode||Sree Nagaraja Swami Temple, Alappuzha
|-
| Ochira Kali||[[Oachira Temple|Ochira Parabrahma Temple]], Kollam 
|-
| Malanada Kettukazcha||Poruvazhi Malanada Temple, Kollam 
|-
| Kodungallur Kavutheendal and Bharani||[[Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple]], Thrissur
|-
| Thirunakkara Arattu||Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple, Kottayam
|-
|Pisharikav Kaaliyattom||Pisharikavu Temple, Koyilandy
|-
|Sakthikulangara Kunchachamman's Aaratt || [[Sakthikulangara Sree Dharma Shasta Temple]], Kollam
|-
|[[Vairankode Vela]] (Theeyattulsavam)
|[[Vairankode Bhagavathy Temple]], Malappuram
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}{{Tourism in Kerala}}
{{Hindu festivals}}{{coord missing|Kerala}}

[[Category:Hindu festivals in Kerala]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Kerala|festivals]]

{{Hindu-stub}}
{{reli-festival-stub}}