Second Grand Kerala Shopping Festival from December

The second Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) will be kicked off on December 1, 2008. The first which had been a tremendous success, saw the active participation of more than 2100 institutions. This year, more than 5000 institutions are expected to participate in the festival, which focuses on turning the state into a commercial trade hub and attracting more business opportunities.

The feedback derived from different sources after the first GKSF has been thoroughly studied and the productive comments are included in chalking out the plan. For the successful conducting of the festival, committees have been formed with the respective district collectors in the lead. The assistance and co-operation of the trade and industrial organizations will also be sought, said Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism.

There are three separate membership plans for the GKSF. Corporation and municipal regions and selected tourist as well as pilgrim centres will be the hubs of the festival. The registration will commence on August 15, 2008. Many gift offers, including scratch and win cards, will be among the attractions to woo the customers. The special fetes held as part of GKSF will add colour to this much-awaited season of shopping.

Chembai Sangeetholsavam

Chembai Sangeetholsavam is an annual Carnatic Music festival held in Guruvayur by the Guruvayur Devaswom (similar to the Thyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru) as a kind of homage toChembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, one of the titans of Carnatic Classical Music.Chembai had conducted the festival in the temple town on his own for about 60 years. He used to invite all the great Carnatic Musicians to perform in the temple town and in course of time, the scale of the festival rivalled the Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana, which is recognised as one of the most important festivals of homage paid to Saint Thyagaraja. The Guruvayur Devaswom decided to take charge after his death in 1974, and renamed it as Chembai Sangeetholsavam in his memory.

About 2000-2500 musicians participate in this festival every year, and it is held for about 12-15 days culminating on the Guruvayur Ekadashi day, when all the musicians sing 5 favourite songs of Chembai and also the Pancharatna Kritis of Thyagaraja. The festival is getting more popular year after year and its scope has increased from three days in its inception to about 12-15 days now.

Ashtami Rohini

It is also known as Gokulashtami and Krishna Jayanti or Jenmashtami. It is celebrated as the birth day of Krishna and falls on the fourth lunar asterism, Rohini and the 8th quart of the moon Ashtami.

Ashtami Rohini, also known as Gokulashtami and Krishna Jayanti or Janmashtami is observed as a day of fasting (vratham) by the devotees of Lord Krishna. As Lord Krishna's birth 'Avathaaram' is said to have taken place on mid-night, women specially refrain from food and keep vigil in Krishna's temple till night and when, after the Pujas are over, they partake of things that have been already offered to the god. The temple is illuminated with myriads of oil fed lamps and worship goes on almost till the early hours of the morning. specially Namboothiri women, stay awake till mid-night and keep a vigil to the Lord. Time is passed with recreational activities and merriment. Girls usually perform the graceful Kaikottikkali and sing songs.

Krishna temples are brilliantly decorated at this time with oil lamps and festivities continue till early hours of morning. Large numbers of devotees gather on this day for a glimpse of their Lord in full shringar. Major celebrations take place in the Guruvayur Devaswom. Devotees throng this temple with Appam and Palpayasam (cakes of rice paste and jaggery). These are considered to be Lord's favourite food. Special feasts are arranged for the devotees by the various Krishna temples on this day.

Vykathu Ashtami


The festival is celebrated in the month of Vrischigam (Nov-Dec) in the well known Siva shrine at Vykam in Travancore. Though the Malayalis take part in it, the majority of pilgrims come from Madura, Tanjore, Trichinopoly, Tirunelvelly. The chief part of the festival consists in the pilgrims worshipping Siva early in the morning before day break. This worship goes on till morning. The Brahmans among the pilgrims is given a grand feast and in the night the God is carried in procession round the temple on richly caparisoned elephant with all the temple paraphernalia. It is considered highly meritorious to worship the god before the sun's rays fall on the copper plate roofing of the temple, so devotees rush to the temple at early dawn. Merchants congregate from distant places and all sorts of wares are for sale.

Kalpathy Car Festival


Kalpathy Viswanatha Swamy temple was built in 1425 A.D and is considered to be the oldest Siva temple in South Kerala. There are number of temples in Palakkad one attached to each of the 20 gramams in the town. The chief and most richly endowed is in Kalpathy dedicated to Lord Shiva, a low quadrangular temple on the banks of Kalpathy River. Legend has it that One Lakshmy Amma, a widow of Sekhari Puram came back from Kashi and gave the prince Itikombi Achan 1320 gold coins in 1424-25 AD and requested him to build the temple of Siva. Hence, saying " Kasiyil Pathi Kalpathy. " i.e. half of Kasi is Kalpathy. Another view regarding Kalpathy being linked to Kasi is that the main diety is Siva and the temple is on the banks of the Neela Nadhi just as Kasi is on the banks of the Ganges. Ratholsavam (Chariot Festival) at Sri Viswanatha Swami Temple, Kalpathy Ratholsavam is a spectacular procession of beautifully decorated temple chariots drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees. Situated on the banks of the Nila / Kalpathy river, Kalpathy is one of the well-known gramams (villages) of Palakkad. The annual chariot festival at the famous Viswanathaswamy Temple at Kalpathy is held in the month of November. Kalpathy is one of the ancient Brahmin Agraharam (traditional house). Also known as Kalpathy Ratholsavam or Kalpathy Theru festival, the festival is based on Vedic Tamil Brahmin culture which lasts for seven days. On the last three days, a spectacular procession of beautifully decorated three temple chariots (Ratham) of lord Viswanadha swamy and Goddess Parvathy, lord Visweswara and lord Subrahmanya are ceremoniously drawn through the streets by thousands of devotees. The procession is accompanied by caparisoned elephants and percussion. It is believed that pulling the chariots will wash off all the sins for a lot of generations. Three satellite temples of the Viswanathaswamy Temple in the villages of new Kalpathy, old Kalpathy and Chathapuram also celebrate this festival.

Sabrimala Mandal Puja Kerala

Sabrimala Mandal Puja, Kerala is celebrated to pay homage to Lord Ayyappan who is respected by all the people in India. At Sabrimala Temple Festival two different types of pujas are held. One of them is the Mandal Puja and the other one is the Makara Sankranti Puja. The pujas are celebrated from the month of November and is continued till the middle of the month of January. During the Sabrimala Mandal Puja, Kerala the devotees carry out austerity and penance. Before the starting of the pilgrimage to the temple of Sabrimala the devotees go through severe penance and also through rigorous living conditions. Not considering the caste, creed or color, the devotees during the Sabrimala Mandal Puja, Kerala, get dressed in black dhotis and carry bundles on their heads, containing traditional donations such as coconut filled with ghee, camphor and rice.

During the time of the festival the dome of the temple is enclosed with gold and the devotees prior to their climbing of the steps break coconuts. The pilgrims who take part in the festival for the first time are called as the Kanni Swamis and their group leader is known as Guru Swami or the person who takes charge of the group as well as all the ceremonies concerning the ceremony of Sabrimala Mandal Puja, Kerala. On the way of climbing up the hill the devotees take a holy dip into the river of Pamba thus freeing themselves of their previous sins. While on their way of the long trek the devotees keep on chanting the name of Lord Ayyappa for easing out their enthusiasm. The women who have reached their fertility age group are not allowed within the premises of the temple and only those women who have not reached or have crossed their fertility age group are allowed. It is done so because Lord Ayyappa is regarded to be an eternal bachelor.