10 Most Well-known Festivals In Kerala To Attend This 12 months – Iris Holidays

Kerala is a land of festivals. Festivals of Kerala range from the most famous celebrations like Snake Boat Races, Cochin carnival, Onam & Vishu to local events like Payippad Boat Race and Thutha Pooram. Each of these Kerala festivals is celebrated and enjoyed by people from different sects, regions and religions with fun, enthusiasm and gaiety ensuring religious and communal harmony.

The famous festivals in Kerala range from celebrations like Snake Boat Races to the Cochin Carnival, Onam, Vishu, and local events like Payippad Boat Race and Thutha Pooram. Packed with rich traditions and rituals, these famous Kerala festivals offer a deep understanding of its vibrant culture and heritage!

Each festival in Kerala is celebrated with immense splendor and enthusiasm. For culture vultures, attending the popular festivals in Kerala is the most exciting thing to do here!

If you are planning to visit Kerala, make sure you include a visit to at least two of these joyous celebrations in Kerala to your itinerary.

Most Famous Festivals In Kerala

Many of these festivals celebrates in Kerala  brings together people from different sects, regions, and religions to celebrate important events with utmost fun, enthusiasm, and delight while ensuring religious and communal harmony.

Here is our pick of the most famous festivals of Kerala with pictures that you should plan your trip around!

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1. Onam

Onam is the national festival of Kerala celebrated to welcome King Mahabali. It’s one of the most famous festivals in Kerala that the whole state celebrates with endless festive spirit, delicious culinary delights, dance, music, rituals, and boat races.

It is essentially a 10-day long harvest festival celebrated during the Chingam month in the Malayalam calendar (between August and September), wherein the first day also marks the celebration of Vishu, the Malayali New Year in Kerala.

It includes feasts of Sadhya, colorful decorations of Pookalam (flower rangoli), the dramatic Kaikottikali Dance, a spectacular Snake Boat Race, and various welcome songs for King Mahabali.

Onam festival location in Kerala: Celebrated all over Kerala
Onam festival date: 6 to 15 September, 2024

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2. Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur Pooram is the grandest of all the famous temple festivals in Kerala that offer a glimpse into the rich religious traditions of Kerala. It is a must-see for those who are fascinated by the pomp of Kerala’s culture and traditions. Pooram is called the mother of all festivals in Kerala.

This gala temple festival in Kerala is an annual extravaganza held in Thrissur, Kerala, on Pooram day. It is marked by a procession of vibrantly decorated and caparisoned elephants, dazzling parasols, and traditional percussion music.

Starting from the magnificent Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur, it is the largest Pooram festival in Kerala and the most fabulous display of its culture and heritage.

Thrissur Pooram location in Kerala: Vadakkumnathan Temple, Thrissur
Thrissur Pooram date: Between April and May

3. Vishu

Vishu celebrates the Malayali New Year in Kerala. Vishukani is the highlight of Vishu Festival in Kerala and it is the is the first thing people see when they wake up on Vishu morning.  It is an arrangement of auspicious items like rice, fruits, vegetables, betel leaves, arecanut, gold coins, flowers, Kanikonna ( Golden flower tree), a mirror, and an idol of Lord Krishna in a decorated manner. It is believed that the rest of the year will be auspicious if you see Vishukani in the morning.

Elders of the family give money (Vishu Kaineettam) to younger members as a token of blessings and prosperity which is usually a small pocket money  to symbolize  prosperity and good luck through generations. Vishu also signifies the beginning of the harvest season in Kerala, making it a time to pray for good crops and agricultural prosperity.

4. Snake Boat Race

Boat races are one of the most enthralling events in Kerala that bring spectators from near and far! Watching local boatmen sail long boats and compete with each other before a thousand cheering onlookers will certainly be one of the most wonderful things you ever see!

Some of the most popular boat races in Kerala that you can attend include the Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzha, the Pulinkunnu Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race on the Pulinkunnu River, the Neerattupuram Boat Race near Edathua, and the Aranmula Boat Race in Aranmula.

For one, you should not miss the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, one of the grandest and most famous festivals in Kerala.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race location in Kerala: Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha
Nehru Trophy Boat Race date: August 10, 2024

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5. Theyyam

The 800-year-old Theyyam is one of the most famous festivals in Kerala where you can witness the vivid folk dances and traditional art of Kerala!

Theyyam is a popular ritualistic art form that is used to dramatize the great stories and historic accounts of Kerala. It’s a combination of music, dance, flamboyant costumes (complete with enormous headgear and ornaments), makeup, and mime, all of which create a dazzling spectacle and leave viewers in awe!

Traditional musical instruments like Chenda, Kurumkuzal, Elathalam, and Vee Kuchinda are employed to depict stories of ancient legends and myths. The whole act is performed by 400 different Theyyams, where each has a separate role to play with distinct music and choreography.

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Theyyam locations in Kerala: Temples of Kannur and Kasargod; art centers of Karivalloor, Kurumathoor, Nileswaram, Ezhom, Cherukunnu, and Kunnathoorpadi
Theyyam date: Between December to April

6. Attukal Pongala

Dedicated to Attukal Devi, Attukal Pongala is yet another popular festival in Kerala that brings together women of all castes and creeds in Kerala.

A large procession of women prepare ‘payasam’ (a sweet rice pudding made of jaggery, coconut, and plantains) and offer it to Goddess Attukal Bhagavathy at the Attukal Temple in Trivandrum. The streets of Trivandrum light up in dazzling colors as swarms of saree-clad women march to the temple to celebrate!

Its rising number of devotees has even landed it in the Guinness World Book of Records as the largest gathering of women for a festival, which explains why it’s one of the most famous festivals in Kerala!

Attukal Pongala location in Kerala: Attukal Temple, Trivandrum
Attukal Pongala date: Between February and March

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7. Christmas

Courtesy of the strong Christian community, Christmas is one of the biggest festivals in Kerala. It is celebrated with just as much enthusiasm and fervor in Kerala as it is in the West!

Both Christians and non-Christians come together to celebrate Christmas in Kerala with tempting plum cakes, stellar lighting, Christmas trees, midnight masses, presents, and gigantic feasts. Every city decks itself in the most colorful and lit decorations.

Many Christian homes in Kerala put festive wreaths and stars outside their homes. Even shops and malls flaunt their fair share of decorations! And best of all, Kerala’s churches are a delight to visit during the Christmas week! Kerala is the best place in India to experience the true magic of Christmas since it’s one of the most famous festivals in Kerala.

Christmas location in Kerala: All over Kerala
Christmas date: December 25

8. Ambalapuzha Arattu

Ambalapuzha Arattu is yet another one of the famous festivals in Kerala dedicated to Lord Krishna. It lasts for 10 days and includes an exciting series of events spanning over 10 days.

People come to Alappuzha from far and wide to witness the Velakali, a martial arts dance dramatization where men in bright attires wield swords and shields to depict the battle between Pandavas and Kauravas. This is followed by a magnificent procession of caparisoned elephants through the streets with percussion music.

The ninth day of this famous Kerala festival marks the Natakasala Sadhya feast prepared with sweet payasam in honor of Lord Krishna. It is believed that Krishna himself comes down to enjoy this feast with his devotees disguised as one of them!

Ambalapuzha Arattu location in Kerala: Sree Krishnaswamy Temple, Alappuzha
Ambalapuzha Arattu date: March-April

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9. Thiruvananthapuram Arattu

The biannual Arattu festival in Trivandrum too is celebrated with boundless elegance and joy as the one in Ambalapuzha.

Held at the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, the Arattu festival is a unique ritual involving a grand procession of the sacred idols of the temple escorted by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore. The idols are taken to Shankumugham Beach and given a holy bath in its waters.

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Out of all the famous festivals in Kerala, this one receives an enormous footfall. Thousands gather in the procession to catch a glimpse of the idols being escorted to the beach and enjoy the delicious offering of sweet ‘palpayasam’!

Thiruvananthapuram Arattu location in Kerala: Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram Arattu date: October-November and March-April

10. Makaravilakku Festival

Makara Vilakku is a 7-day festival commencing on Makar Sankranti to celebrate the consecration of the sacred idol of Dharma Sastha in Sabarimala Temple of Pathanamthitta, Kerala.

It involves a ceremonial procession of the deity’s jewelry from the Pandalam Palace to the temple accompanied by lights, music, and the appearance of the ‘Makarajyothi” star on the horizon! It is attended by thousands of devotees who come all the way here to catch a glimpse of the deity and his ornaments!

The sacred jewelry contains diamond diadems, gold bracelets, necklaces, precious gems, swords, silver arrows, and golden figurines of animals. The procession’s massive attendance and dazzling jewelry have earned it a spot among the famous festivals in Kerala!

Makaravilakku Festival location in Kerala: Sabarimala Temple, Pathanamthitta, Kerala
Makaravilakku Festival date: January 20, 2025

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Calendar of Famous Festivals in Kerala

The dates of each of these Kerala festivals change every year as per the Malayalam calendar. You can refer to this ready reckoner with the dates and locations of all the famous Kerala festivals and plan a visit to either of them with ease.

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In Kerala’s Malayalam calendar, the local traditions and customs determine the festival dates. Some of these dates may vary according to the local customs and rituals associated with each festival. Festivals of Kerala give you a glimpse of the rich heritage of the state. Each of the Kerala festivals is celebrated with much splendour as well as the show. For culture-vulture, the best time to visit God’s Own Country is during Kerala festivals.

Though we have tried to make these dates as exact as possible, please recheck before making a plan to visit these famous Kerala festivals.

Plan your trip around these famous festivals in Kerala to get an insight into its vivid culture, heritage, and history. Immerse yourselves in their diverse experiences and unique traditions and you’ll cherish those joyous moments forever! Happy tripping!