April
03 -
Peruvanum pooram, Nenmara Vallangi Vela (Palakkad)
04 - Aryankav pooram (Palakkad)
06 -
Arattupuzha Pooram Video (71 gaily caparisoned elephants,
Panchavadyam)
09 - Mondy Thursday,
Poomkavu church 'Sneha deeparchana' (Alappuzha)
10 - Good Friday,
Thankey church (Alappuzha)
14 - Vishu, Guruvayur, Sabarimala temple (Open for 10 days, Pathanamthitta Dt)
19 -
Malayattoor church festival (Ernakulam)
21 - Kadammanitta Devi Temple (Pathanamthitta - Spectacular padayani performance)
23 - Pathamudayam, Harippad Sree Subramanya swami temple Aarat, Ambalapuzha temple (Alappuzha)
Peruvanum pooram : On the festival day (Mar/Apr, 12 km from Thrissur), sumptuously decorated elephants accompanied by scores of drummers will be the main attraction.
Aryankavu, a small village 10 km from Shornur in Palakkad district is famous for its Pooram festival celebrated in the Malayalam month of Meenam 1 to 21 (in April). The most attractive thing about this festival is Kuthiravela, a colourful procession carrying the motifs of horse. The motifs will be finely decorated with tender coconut leaves and flowers. People dance in tune with the foot tapping percussions in the background.
Arattupuzha Pooram : The temple is dedicated to Sree Ayyappa. On the sixth day of the seven day festival at Arattupuzha temple, (Mar/Apr, 14 km from Trissur), 61 gaily caparisoned elephants gather in the temple grounds, accompanied by the temple music of
Panchavadyam, nadaswaram, pacharimelam and pandimelam.
Nenmara Vallangi Vela is a temple festival celebrated in the district of Palakkad in Kerala, India. The Vela is regarded as one of the biggest temple festivals of the State.
Nenmara and Vallangi are two deshams (regions) of Palakkad and the annual Vela festival is held as a joint invocation by them to the Goddess Bhagavathy of the Nellikkulangara Bhagavathy temple. The festival is held in the month of Meenam (March-April), according to the Malayalam calendar.
Be it the elephant pageantry or temple orchestras, the two 'deshams' vie with each other to present their best, making the festival simply majestic.
The festivities start with Kodiyettam (religious flag hoisting) at Nellikulangara temple on the first of Meenam. On the ninth day flag hoisting is done in both villages and its time for the villagers to watch Kummatti, a charming folk art form.
Karivela and Andivela, two other folk art forms are the highlights of the eighteenth and nineteenth days respectively.
The twentieth is the big day of the festival. Spectacular processions with caparisoned elephants from the two villages are taken to the Nellikulangara temple, the main venue. On reaching the temple, both sides stand face to face at the Utsavapandal (festival marquee). In a competitive spirit both sides present Panchavadyam and other traditional percussion ensembles.
After certain rituals, the processions go back to the respective deshams only to come back in the night in the same spirit and vigour. Spectacular fireworks are held in the night.
The festivities conclude after the Koora Azhikal (ritualistic lowering of the festival flags) on the twenty-first day at both deshams.