| Thiruvananthapuram being the capital of Kerala, has one or other religious, state or tourist festivals celebrated every now and then throughout the year. The Village Fair An entire village of the bygone days of rural Kerala is recreated with artisans, Nalukettu (traditional house), temple, astrologer etc., so that the visitors will be able to see and visualize how people of Kerala in those days went about their lives. The festival lasts for a week from 3rd January. The village is set near Kovalam with displays of cultural performances like kathakali, koodiyattam, kalaripayattu, theyyam etc. The Great Elephant Race Though strictly not a local festival, the conclusion of it is in Thiruvananthapuram. It is a four daylong extravaganza arranged by the tourism department of Kerala. 101 caparisoned elephants march from Thrissur on the 17th of every January reaching Thiruvananthapuram on the fourth day with stop overs at Kochi and Alappuzha. Boat races and folk art performances are arranged during this period where tourists can have glimpses of Kerala culture. The festival is concluded on the fourth day at Kovalam Beach with cultural programs and seaside barbecue.
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Food Festival The festival is conducted during the 2nd week of February. Specialized chefs stalls for each state. Spread through seven evenings, one can taste almost all types of delicacies of Indian cuisine from various regions of India. Those prepared are even sold. It will be worthwhile to have a go at the dishes from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Nishagandhi Dance Festival The Tourism Development Corporation organises the dance festival. Leading artists of Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kathak, Odissi, Modern ballet and other folk form will perform at the open-air theatre of Nishagandhi in the Kanakakunnu Palace compound. Admission is free and the festival usually is accompanied with music. Vetta and Arattu This festival is celebrated twice in a year, once in Oct.-Nov and other in March-April. Vetta represents Lord Vishnu hunting down the demon of evil in the forest. The next day afternoon the Arattu procession begins. Images of Lord Padmanabha, Lord Krishna and Lord Narasimha are carried to the Arabian Sea at Sangumugham beach escorted by the members of the Royal Family. At sunset the images are ritually bathed in the sea. Returning the images in a procession back to the Padmanabhaswamy temple concludes the event. Several cultural programs including all-night Kathakali are performed during the festival. Attukal Pongala |