Kerala's performing arts are blessed with spectacular visual effects  and musical series. In a land which cannot boast of monumental  architectural feats unlike many other parts of India, Individually and collectively, they measure up to the magnificence of the architectural and sculptural excellence of Ajantha and Ellora. No other State in India can match the grandour and creativity of Kerala's performing arts.

There is no better way of getting to know people and their land than experiencing their festivals. And Kerala has so many of them that no one, in all probability, has a record of the festive calendar of Kerala. Some of Kerala's innumerable festivals, however, stand out because of their uniqueness.

ONAM Onam is a harvest festival celebrated throughout Kerala for four days. According to legend, it is on the first day that the good Asura king Mahabali who once ruled Kerala, comes from exile to visit his beloved people. Homes are adorned with floral decorations in preparation for his visit.

NAVARATHRI
A nine day festival of the Goddess of knowledge and music, a musical concert is held every evening for nine days at the Navarathri Mandapam of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trivandrum.


THRISSUR POORAM
Thirty caparisoned elephants decorated with gold ornaments, each ridden by three Brahmins holding objects symbolizing royalty including colourful umbrellas create a spectacular sight , specially when accompanied by Chenda Melam, the quintessentially Keralite music.   In April-May, streams of visitors and devotees flow into the hillock centered town of Trichur, now called Thrissur, crowned by its Vadakkunnathan Temple. In the afternoon, when crowds have massed on the slopes of the hillock, a line of beautifully caparisoned elephants emerge. Slowly it trudges to the bottom of the hill and then it turns to face a competing line of elephants who have also emerged from the temple. In full view of the admiring crowd, shimmering, glittering, ceremonial umbrellas are held aloft on the backs of the elephants while the wind and percussion orchestra blares, crashes, thunders and clangs.  Bearers swirl and twist their plumes. Then more umbrellas blossom atop the competing line of elephants and their orchestra adds to the general jubilation. Their bearers go through their arm ballet. And the whole sequence starts all over again. It is as spectacular as a pageant in a medieval court, and as exciting. That evening expectant mothers leave Thrissur. And then the night explodes in a titanic thunderclap and a magnificient fireworks display fills the sky with exploding stars and nebulae and whirling galaxies of whistling, howling, shrieking light. It leaves spectators stunned and quite speechless. And thankful that there is only one Trichur Pooram every year ! The only phenomenon that can compete with Thrissur's fireworks is the monsoon thunderstorm over Kerala.

FOOD FESTIVAL
The national food festival Fair, held in Trivandrum is a rare opportunity to taste the traditional, authentic cuisines of Kerala and India.

The least known of the unique festivals of Kerala are its Islamic ones. And, according to an official publication of the Government of Kerala : "The Chandanakkudam at Bheemapally near Thiruvananthapuram is one of the most colourful of Muslim festivals in Kerala. The Chandanakkudam Mahotsavam, as it is called, is said to be the death anniversary of Bheema Beevi, a devout pilgrim lady who came to Kerala from Mecca. The festival begins on the 1st of Jamadul Akhar of the Hijira Era (October) and lasts ten days. Carrying earthern pots smeared with sandalwood paste and the mouth of the pot tightly closed with white cloth with a jasmine garland around its edges, thousands of pilgrims both Muslims and non-Muslims go round the mosque and the hallowed tomb of the devout lady in procession, the earthern pot with money being placed at the tomb as offerings.

Christmas, December 25, is also a major festival in Kerala. Streamers, bunting and bright lights adorn shops but, most typical, are the illuminated stars that distinguish the many Christian houses in Kerala. These, twinkling against the dark groves and reflected in its flowing waters, make for an unusual, but very warm, Christmas image.

In the last week of February, the river town of Aluva plays host to the great Maha Sivarathri festival. Devotees gather on the sand-banks of the Pamba River and, illuminated by hundreds of little oil lamps, spend the whole night in fasting and meditation. In the small hours of the morning they plunge into the river, accompanied by full-throated chants, and then emerge to offer prayers and sacrifices in memory of the dead. The fair which grows around this festival is popular with people of all persuasions.

But when the monsoon ends in Kerala, it celebrates its post harvest festival of Onam : laden tables, floral decorations, folk dances, gift giving and new clothes.

According to legend it also marks the annual return of the benign King Mahabali form his exile in the underworld.

A part of the Onam celebrations is the great boat pageants and races. Once upon a time these races were post-harvest water-wars between the backwater flotillas of rival princes. The most famous of these boat races is held in a backwater off the canal town of Alleppey on the second Saturday of August.

It is called the Nehru Trophy Boat Race because the Cambridge-educated Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, offered a trophy if such a race was organised. The races start in the afternoon, but by late forenoon the rows of seats under the palms are packed and other spectators have scaled up the overhanging palms and, the richer ones, have even come here in their own cabin cruises and motor boats. There is an air of tense expectation. When the starter's flag falls a roar tears out of thousands of throats. The row boats cleave through the water and race after race is accompanied by frenzied cheering, some of the palm-straddling spectators even tumbling off their perches.

The greatest roar, however, is reserved for the battle of the hundred-oared chundan valloms: those great ram-snouted battlewagons of another age, with high flaring tails on which their straining helmsmen lean on their great steering oars. You haven't seen water-sports if you've not seen the battle of the Chundan Valloms off Alappuzha.

Happily, visitors can now see the highlights of many of the festivals of Kerala in four days at the Great Elephant March from January 17 to 20. Starting with a ceremonial welcome in Cochin, now called Kochi; to elephant rides, an assembly of 101 elephant, a Chundan Vallom race, a replication of the Thrissur Pooram Festival and even a ceremonial feeding of the elephants by visitors.

AYURVEDA
‘Ayurveda’ means ‘the knowledge of life’. The origin of Ayurveda, the science of life, dates back to more than 5,000 years. The vedas, the first literature of human civilization are claimed to constitute the foundation of Ayurveda. Ayurveda was said to have been practiced by the Ashwini Kumars during the period of the Devas.

According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of three fundamental elements called ‘Doshas’ , ‘Dhatu’ and ‘Mahas’, which are equally important. Ayurveda dictates the social norms of an individual. This helps in maintaining spiritual health and also elaborates on the daily routines, seasonal routines and changes these routines according to the region of the habitual. Ayurveda has a separate branch called ‘Rasayana ‘ to maintain youth and vitality to recover lost health in diseased conditions. In Ayurveda all treatments are aimed at building up the strength of the person, which would help him to lead a healthy and happy life. It gives special emphasis on prevention of disease.

Various types of treatments in Ayurveda are ‘Panchakarmas’. Therapeutic vomiting, purgation, cleansing enemas , Nasal application of herbs, Rejuvenation (Rasayana).