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  Many colorful festivals are celebrated in Kerala. Most of these festivals are imbued with religious fervor and commemorate some event or are held in honor of some deity. Nearly all the major temples have a special festival and fair associated with it e.g. the Pooran Festival at Vadakkunatha Temple at Thrissur (Trichur).
Festivals like Thiruvonam, Vishnukani, Tiruvathiru and Arattu are celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm in Kerala. During the Onam Tourist week (in the month of Chingom – Aug-Sep) Vallan Kath or the famous boat race is organized at Kochi.

This is the most celebrated festival of Kerala. Celebrated in the month of CHINGOM, the celebration lasts for 4 days. It is a harvest festival and has a legend associated with it According to the legend MAHABALI, an ASURA king who once rule over Kerala, was pushed into hell by Lord Vishnu (in the form of VAMANA). The first day of the festival marks his homecoming. Homes are decorated for welcoming him back from his exile.
Onam Tourist Week (Sept) is celebrated in all the major towns of Kerala . Dance performances, fireworks, water carnivals, elephant procession and the famous snake boat race mark the celebration. Onam is now celebrated as a National Festival under Government auspices.

VISHU
This is another major festival. It marks the new year.

NAVRATHRI or SARASWATI PUJA
Navrathri is celebrated as Saraswati puja in Kerala.

MAHASHIVRATHRI
It is celebrated with great favour in Kerala. In fact the celebration held to mark this festival on the banks of the Periyar river, is comparable to the Kumbha Mela of Prayag.

MAKARAVILAKKU
This 41 days festival held in the famous SABARIMALA AYYAPPAN Temple attracts devotees not only from India but also from abroad.

VALLAMKALI
This boat race is typical of Kerala. Except the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, which is held annually in the PUNNAMADA Lake, all the boat races have a religious origin.

POORAM FESTIVAL
This festival is celebrated at the VADAKKUNNATHA Temple in THRISSUR in the month of April .The celebration are marked by an impressive procession of richly caparisoned elephants and a remarkable display of pyrotechnics.

CHRISTMAS and EASTER
Nearly 22% of the population in Kerela are Christians. The main Christian festivals celebrated are Christmas and Easter. The Maramon Convention is held every year on the Pamba River bed. It is the biggest gathering of Christian in Asia.

Besides Christians, another major religious minority in Kerala are the Muslims like the Christians they too constitute 21% of the population. The major festivals celebrated by them are Bakra Idd, Ramzan, Muharram, Tarram and Nercha. The Muslims also hold a ten days festival in Beempalli at the shrine of Beema Bivi; a Muslim saint endowed with divine powers.

ARATTU
This festival is celebrated in number of temples across Kerala. It marks the closing ceremony of the 10 days long celebrations of the PADMANABHASWAMI Temple in THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. Offering of the sweet prasad "MILK PAYASAM" is made in the temples.

TIRU VATHIRA
This is a festival celebrated by women, especially unmarried women. It is associated with KAMADEVA, the God of Love .The girls, after a bath in the temple bank, adorn themselves and relax on swings, which are specially hung from trees for this day.

The main festival organized by them is during the month of January (17-20). This four-days festival starts at Thrissur with a spectacularly colorful procession of heavy 100 brightly caparisoned elephants. Tourists are allowed to ride on these elephants and also to feed them .In Alapuzha, there are snake boat races and rides. On the final day display of martial arts and an elephant pageant is held. A seaside barbecue and a display of firework mark the end of this carnival.

A mention here must be made of various dance festivals, which take place in Kerala. -Nishigandhi Dance Festival (Nov-Mar) On weekends during this period dance performances by leading proponents of all the important dance forms takes place at the Nishigandhi open air auditorium at the Kanakakkunnu palace. Soorya Dance Festival (Oct) This dance festival takes place from the 1st to the 10th of October.

Chandanakuda Festival . This festival begins on the first of the Hijri month of Jamadulakhar (Mar-APR) at the shrine of Beemapalli dedicated to Beema Bivi. Beema Bivi was a Muslim woman, believed to be endowed with divine powers. A procession is taken out by Muslims holding pots and incense sticks. Beside there is a display of sward fighting, singing and dancing.

Navrathri (Sep/Oct) or the Saraswati festival as it is commonly known in Kerala, is celebrated here at a special mandapam in the Padmanabhaswami Temple. Several musical concerts are held here.

Nishigandhi Dance Festival (Nov-March) on weekends during this period prominent dances representing various dance forms are performed at this festival. (Venue Kanakakkunnu Palace)

Soorya Dance Festival (1st to 10th Oct) This festival is similar to the Nishigandhi dance festival.

Fairs and Local Festivals

Besides the festivals, which are celebrated all over the state of Kerala such as Onam, Vishnukani and Tiruvathira, there is one festival, which is special to Thiruvananthapuram. It is the 10-days long festival at the Padamanabhaswami temple.

The closing ceremony (arattu) of this festival is celebrated in a number of temples across Kerala. During this, the deity is taken in a procession around the temple complex. Then the procession (including the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore) moves to the Shanmugham accompanied by 6 gold clothed elephants. The procession leads the temple gate at 1700Hrs. and returns around 2100Hrs.

Classical Music Festival This festival is held from 27th Jan. to 3rd Feb. The venue for this festival is the Puthe Mumga Palace.