Kovalam

Festive Celebrations

The Great Elephant Race is one of the most vibrant festivals held in January for 3 days. Watch about 101 elephants adorned in their fineries, garlands and necklaces, parading to the accompaniment of musical instruments. This festival is arranged by the Tourism department of Kerala and the elephants walk from Thrissur to Thiruvananthapuram. It is auspicious to seek blessings from the passing elephants and to feed them with your own hand. The festival concludes at Kovalam beach where there a number of cultural activities organized. Gramam or the Village Fair is another interesting and unique fair held for 10 days. An entire village is recreated on the beaches on traditional Kerala style - the village includes Nalukettu, where the traditional upper class resides, the Chayakada or the village teashop and the Kamalagramam or the artisans' enclave. The Nalukettu is created in wood and tiles and characterised by a vast open courtyard. Inside, displays of Jewelery, paintings, sandalwood crafts and curios are put for all to see. Traditional Kerala food and beverages are available at the Chayakada and you can buy Kerala artifacts from Kamalagramam. The evenings are particularly interesting when the open-air theatre created within the gramam hosts several cultural programs like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and other folk dances.

A particularly exciting festival takes place in January, called the Fandango or Food Festival. Lasting for 3 days, it is organized on the campus of the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology. This is possibly the best place to sample all traditional cuisines of the region as stalls selling all possible kinds of food are set up. Cultural programs are also arranged for recreation. Nishagandhi Dance Festival is celebrated in February in Thiruvananthapuram and is marked by classical dance shows, folk performances and some contemporary dances.