PARUMALA PERUNAL

Venue: St. Peters & St. Paul's Orthodox Church in Parumala, Thiruvalla

Event Date: 02 Nov 2006 02 Nov 2007 02 Nov 2008 02 Nov 2009 02 Nov 2010.

Parumala Perunal is held at the St. Peters & St. Paul's Orthodox Church in Parumala, Thiruvalla where His Holiness Mar Gregorios Metropolitan, the declared saint of the Malankara Orthodox Church in Kerala takes his eternal rest. The annual commemorative feast ('Orma' ) of the saint is celebrated with great pomp.

The Parumala Perunal is held on November 2 this year. There is a ceremonial procession on the day of the feast. Devotees from all across the state gather here to attend the special rites and prayers offered on this day. Event Date: 2 Nov, 2004 .

Getting there

Nearest railway station: Thiruvalla, about 11 km

Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 102 kms from Thiruvalla.

KOTTAKKAL POORAM

Venue: Sree Vishwambara Temple, Kottakkal Arya Vaidyasala Complex, Kottakkal, Malappuram district, North Kerala.

Kottakkal Pooram is the annual festival at the Sree Vishwambara Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Dhanvanthari. Dhanvanthari, in Indian mythology, is the patron god of medicine and health. During the festival, masters of music, art, culture and literature from all over the country participate in the cultural mela organised by the P.S.Warrier Trust.

The Trust is run by the renowned Ayurvedic reasearch, treatment and study centre Kottakkal Arya Vaidyasala. The festival also features Ottanthullal, Chakyarkoothu, Panchavadyam and night long Kathakali performances. The music concerts here give equal importance to the Hindusthani as well as Carnatic streams.

Getting there:

There are frequent bus services from nearby towns like Kozhikode, Malappuram (about 11 km), Tirur

etc., to Kottakkal.

Nearest railway station: Tirur, about 16 km from Kottakkal.

Nearest airports: Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode, about 36 km from Malappuram town.

KONDOTTY NERCHA

Venue: Kondotty Mosque, also known as Pazhayangadi Mosque, Malappuram district, North Kerala.

The mosque is believed to date back to the 18th century and is popularly known as Pazhayangadi Mosque. It is associated with the Muslim Saint, Muhammed Shah, famous as Kondotty Thangal.The festival Valiya Nercha (The Great Vow), a weeklong event, attracts thousands of devotees who participate in the religious procession and fairs.

The festival assumes carnival proportions with heavy trade and arrangements for entertainment and amusement.

Getting there

Kondotty is situated on the MalappuramKozhikode route, about 35 km from Kozhikode.

Nearest railway station: Kozhikode.

Nearest airports: Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode, about 10 km from Kondotty.

KODUNGALLOOR BHARANI UTSAVAM

Venue: 50 kms north of Kochi is the ancient port town of Crangannore, now called Kodungalloor.

Event Date: 01 Apr 2006 22 Mar 2007 08 Apr 2008 29 Mar 2009 20 Mar 2010

The goddess Bhagavathi is the presiding deity of the ancient temple here. The Bharan i festival which falls in the month of Meenam (March/April) attracts the largest congregation of Velichappadu (oracles), both men and women. The term Velichappadu in Malayalam means "the revealer of light".

The festival commemorates goddess Bhadrakali's victory over the demon Daarika. The huge idol of Bhadrakaali, with eight hands, each holding weapons like swords and wheels evokes reverential fear in the minds of the devotees. Velichappadus dressed in red costume and with streaming hair, smear their body with turmeric powder, wear huge waist belts studded with bells and hold aloft sacred swords of different sizes and shapes.Once in a trance, these oracles perform a frenzied dance, repeatedly slashing their foreheads with curved swords.

As a supreme symbol of their devotion they make a sacrificial offering of their own blood to the deity. A grand procession ( Ezhunnallathu ) with nine majestic tuskers is held in the evenings followed by a series of cultural programmes staged in the temple premises.

ATTUKAL PONGALA

Venue: Attukal Bhagavathy Temple and its premises, Thiruvananthapuram city, South Kerala.

This video shows Pongala the annual festival celebrated at this shrine on February 20, 2000. The word Pongala means to boil over and refers to the ritual offering that is most pleasing to the deity a porridge of rice, sweet brown molasses, coconut gratings, nuts and raisins.

Only women are allowed to participate in this ritual. Right from the previous night thousands of women, regardless of caste, creed and colour, assembled in the temple premises and on both sides of the roads leading to the shrine to perform Pongala .

Getting there

Nearest railway station: Thiruvananthapuram Central about 2 km from the shrine.

Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 7 km from the shrine.