Onam, the harvest festival is the most popular festival of Kerala. A festival that celebrates a happy blend of myth and reality, Onam is part of the cultural repertoire of every Malayalee.

It brings back nostalgic memories, carried on the wings of folklore, of a bygone Utopian era of prosperity, equality and righteousness, under the golden reign of Mahabali. Year after year, for centuries, the people of Kerala, irrespective of caste, creed or colour, join together to welcome back their vanquished king. The ten-day Onam festival falls in August-September, coinciding with the beginning of the harvest season.

Celebration Preparations & Decorations :
Preparation of a floral carpet called "Athappookkalam" in front of houses, from the first day of 'Atham' to the tenth day of 'Thiruvonam' is part of the festivities, which is a symbolic gesture to welcome King Mahabali.
The state government conducts Tourism Week celebrations in connection with Onam, showcasing the gems of Kerala's culture. Onam resonates with Carnivals, Boat Races, Dance, Music and Feast.

A sumptuous meal on plantain leaf and the traditional sweet dish of Kerala 'Payasam' etc are served in every house The pomp and pageantry of Onam reflects the Keralite's zest for all the beautiful things of life.

Celebration Trends and Rituals :
According to local belief, in a war that took place between the gods and the demons, the demons won. Deeply hurt by the defeat of the gods, Aditi, their mother prayed to Lord Vishnu to destroy Mahabali, the demon king.

Consequently, Lord Vishnu, in the guise of a Brahmin boy, Vamanan, went to Mahabali and asked him to grant him three steps of land. The wish was granted and Vamanan covered the whole land with his two steps and then he came back to the King asking him where he can place the third step.

The king to honour his word, offered his head as the third step. Vamanan pushed Mahabali deep down into the earth. Pleased by his honesty and generosity, the lord in turn granted him a wish that he could he could visit his kingdom and people on a particular day once a year.

Every temple in Kerala celebrates festive occasions with religious devotion and joy. One of the most important temples in Kerala is the Vadakkananthan Temple at Thrissur. The Thrissur Pooram or Temple Festival of the Vadakkananthan Temple, is the grandest Temple Festival in Kerala. Travel to Kerala to see the magnificent Thrissur Pooram, on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater, and see Kerala at its celebratory best. See the rows of impressive elephants bearing idols of the gods on their backs, decorated with golden forehead ornaments and colorful parasols in Thrissur Kerala.

Held every year in the month of Medom according to the Malayam calendar, which corresponds to April-May, the Thrissur Temple Festival features rituals and prayers as well as a spectaulcr procession of grandly decorated elephants. Neighboring temples at Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu compete with each other to display the most impressive tuskers, the best decorated elephants and the most impressive fireworks. Fifteen elephants from each temple line up in an impressive standoff, while accompanying drummers and musicians play their instruments in a religious frenzy.

Celebrations at the Thrissur Temple Festival Kerala :
Started by Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of the earlier state of Kochi state, the Thrissur Pooram or Temple Festival at Thrissur has become an annual event on the tourist calendar of Kerala. The two competing temples display new decorations and parasols on the elephants each year and put up more spectacular fireworks in order to create a memorable temple festival. The temple festival begins early in the morning with the procession of the elephants and lasts through the day and into the night. The percussion drumming called Panchavadyam is another highlight of the temple festival, which concludes on the following morning. This spectacle is the end of an eight-day festival of nine temples in Thrissur.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race, the annual water carnival at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha is considered as the biggest snake boat race in the world. The colourful boat pageantry, which precedes the boat race, is a marvelous treat to the onlookers. The snake boats with 100 to 120 oarsmen plough the waters to the tune of the legendary songs. Jawaharlal Nehru who was enthralled by the charm and gaiety of the water carnival instituted the Nehru Trophy. This boat race attracts a large number of tourists.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most famous of the boat races of Kerala. This annual regatta is held on the Punnamada Backwaters of Alappuzha district on the second Saturday of August.

The event is a commemoration of the visit to this place by the late Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1952.
The spectacular race features magnificent snake boats or 'Chundans'. The boisterous and rhythmic boat songs or Vanchipattu work the spectators to a state of frenzy.