Hindu Festivals

Hindus observe a lot of Festivals throughout the year. For them every celebration is religious. Important events of Hindu mythology, Birth of Gods, Harvests and regional and seasonal events, full moon, new moon, new year are all celebrated religiously.

Some festivals start as temple events with processions like ratha yatra, programmes including folk arts and cultural programmes.

Some festivals are universally celebrated while some are strictly within the family. Keeping fasts and observing poojas are very important for Hindus. Decorating the house with Rangoli, Kolam, Pookkalam, known differently in each region, is an auspicious observance believed to bring good luck and prosperity and marks the arrival of the festival and welcome the deity.

Wearing new clothes on festivals is a custom among the Hindus. A wide range of delicacies, especially sweets are made in every home. Friends and relatives meet and wish each other during the festival days.

There are festivals throughout the year and they are celebrated with all pomp and glory year after year. Hindus consider everything sacred and divine. The sun, moon, and every animate and inanimate things on earth has divinity in them. In a way every day has some importance and it is connected with a divine force and the Hindus have a different name for the divinity or God.

The festivals start in January with Makar Sankranthi, Lohri and Pongal. Though there are not many festivals in June, according to Hindu calendar, every month has a festival. Maha Shivratri, Deepavali, Onam , Dussera, Ganesh Chadurthi , Janmashtami, Raksha Bandhan, Vishu and Holi are some of the most important festivals.

VISHU

Keralam will celebrate Vishu on 15^th of April 2011. Vishu is celebrated on Medam 1^st Malayalam month. If Onam is a state festival for Kerala, Vishu is the most important religious festival of Hindus of Kerala.

The day starts at Brahma Muhurtham before sunrise with the Vishukani. The lady of the house will set the Vishukani the previous night when everyone is asleep. Kani is the first sight each one has on Vishu morning. All auspicious things of prosperity are kept before the Nilavilakku and Sree Krishna idol. The whole years’ prosperity is based on what one see at Brahma Muhoorath of that day.

Vishu kaineettam is given to all by the elders on that day. I remember my childhood days connected with Vishukaineettam. In a way we all awaited for this day to have a few coins. The charm of this day is connected with prosperity.

The golden shower tree is the state flower of Kerala. The flowers are of ritual importance in the Vishu festival of Kerala as without Konna poo the Vishukani is incomplete.

The Konna trees in full bloom during the month of April is a an eye catching sight. The flowers hang like golden bells and is believed to be the gold ornament that adorns Sri Krishna, by devotees.

The Hindus of Kerala still celebrate Vishu traditionally. Those who stay away from home too prepare the Vishukani with whatever possible things they get….

Vishukaineettam has not much importance now as children these days get enough pocket money always. In my childhood we got money only on this day. The karanavar of our family used to give 10paisa to children and 25 paisa to adults. It was a ritual that he gave kaineettam to every member of the household.

After the bath and wearing new clothes, we children would go to nearby houses where close relatives like mother’s sister stayed and would get Vishu kaineettam from them too. It was only my father who gave a one rupee coin. Usually mother would take back all the money in the promise of giving back. But we had to wait for it till next year….But those were the days when we had no use of money as we were not allowed to buy anything on our own.

Vishu ends with an elaborate feast and the whole celebration gives us a lot of happiness….

Kani kanum neram kamala nethrante

Niramerum manja thukil charthi

Kanaka kingini valakal mothiram

Aninju kanenam bhagavane

Narakauriyay aravindakshante

Cheriya nalathe kalikalum

Thirumey shobhayum thazhuki pookunnen

Aduthu va unni kani kanman

Malarvathil kanthan vasudevathmajan

Pularkale padi kuzhaloothi

Kelukelu ennu kilungum kanchana

Chilampittodiva kani kanman (kanikanum)

Shishukkalayalla saghimarum thanum

Pashukkale meychu nadakkumbol

Vishakkumbol venna kavarnnunnum krishna

Vashathu va unni kani kanan

Vaarya shreekade thukilum varikonda

Arayalin kombathirunnoro

Sheelakkedukal paranjum bharichum

Neela karvarna kanikanman

Ethire pokumbom arike vannoru

Puthumayayulla vachanangal

Madhuramam vannam paranjum pal

Mandasmithavum thooki va kanikanman

Kani kanum neram kamala nethrante

Niramerum manja thukil charthi

Kanaka kingini valakal mothiram

Aninju kanenam bhagavan

Ettumanoor Temple

The small state Kerala in India has the majority of population, the Hindus. Kerala is famous with its colourful temple festivals. These annual festivals of every temple are elaborate and exotic. The main attraction at these festivals is the elephants. Each temple with its own legends & myths conduct an annual festival as a tribute to the presiding deity.

The ten day long festival called “Utsavam” is conducted almost with same rituals in most of the temples. The main idol of the temple is taken out of the sanctum sanctorum only during these days. On elaborately decorated elephants, with processions & music the idol is taken around. On the ninth day the idol is taken for an imaginary hunting called Pallivetta, in which people dress themselves as wild animals & give the surroundings a forest atmosphere. The next day is the famous “Aarattu” festival.

Ettumanoor is an important pilgrim Centre of Hindus. Ettumanoor is a small town famous with the Shiva temple, “Ettumanoor Mahadeva temple”. The temple building, with its gopuram and the fortress around it, have Dravidian mural paintings on the walls inside and outside of the main entrance. Myths have it that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa had worshipped at this temple. Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple is one of the oldest Kerala temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Araattu festival falls in February-March. This Arattu festival is popularly known as Ettumanoor Ezharapponnana. This temple is rich with its treasures. Seven elephants of the same size with 13 kilos of pure gold and one smaller in size forms the Ezharaponnana. There is a golden umbrella too in this temple which is also taken out for the procession during the festival.

Ezharaponnana or the seven and a half golden elephants represent the Ashtadwigjam - which are Airavatham, Pundareekam, Kanmudam, Ajnana, Pushpadantham, Supradeekam, Sarvabhauman, and Vamana. As Vamana is a short one, the eighth elephant is a short one of one foot while others are two feet high. The spectacular event of the Arattu festival with the Ezharapponnana is beyond any description.

Aarattu is the Holy dip given to the deity as the ten day long utsavam concludes. This is symbolic of purification and rejuvenation of the body and spirit after the festivities. After the previous day’s Pallivetta, the deity Sri Mahadeva at Ettumanoor is taken out in procession, with elephants & panchavadyam, and thalappoli, where the ezharaponnaana or the golden elephants representing the eight dik paalakas or the guardians of the cardinal directions wait at the specially decorated site in the north east corner of the temple. This makes the Ettumanoor aarattu festival unique.