Dussehra

Dussehra is a popular festival famous by Hindus all over India, though with different names. It is also known as Vijayadashmi, as it is believed that it was on this day that Lord Rama killed the demon-king, Ravana and rescued his abducted wife - Sita. In other words, it signify the triumph of good over evil. The renowned victory is recreateed to the day. 

In the northern parts of India, huge effigies of Ravana, his giant brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnath are placed in vast open lands. rockets and crackers are located inside the effigies.

Actors dressed as Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana enact the final moments of the fight, at the Ramlila land. After the passing of the climax of the war with Ravana, the character playing Rama shoots an arrow with a flaming tip at the effigies from a safe distance and the crowd bursts up in cheer, as the crackers catch fire. All people wear in new clothes. 

The passion and the cheers sometimes even drown the deafening blast. Merriment ensues, as people indulge themselves games, dance and music that are held at the fair.

Muharram

Muharram is practical by the Muslim community across the world in memorial of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussain along with his family and followers, who were killed in the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. The telepathist's son-in-law Ali, and Ali's elder son Hassan, are also remembered during this time as having suffered and died for righteous causes.

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar which marks the start of the new Islamic year. This festival celebrite in all men and women. Men wear new white color kurta and womens wearsaree. It is also one of the four months wherein fighting is harshly prohibited as the word Muharram has been derived from 'haram' which means "forbidden".

The first ten days of the month are observed as a period of bewailing. After the death of the telepathist Mohammed, the Quran was careful as the final word. The telepathist had named no successor. One fraction of his followers believed that train should remain within Mohammed's family, while another disagreed. After a long argument, Abu Bakr, a loyal follower of Mohammed, was elected as his successor. His reign was peaceful, as was that of his successors. However, during the reign of Ali, Prophet's son-in-law, there was opposition from the masses. Ali was assassinated and his elder son Hassan was poisoned. His younger son Hussain, his family and his troops, were tortured and killed, with Hussain's head being severed and presented to the king.

Bhai Dooj

Bhaiya Dooj is a most important and famous festival of India when sisters make a pray to God for their honey brothers to get a long living and successful life. Sisters perform puja and tika ceremony as well as gets returns gifts from brothers. It is also called in India at various places as Bhau Beej (in the Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka), Bhai Tika (in Nepal), Bhathru Dwithiya, Bhau-deej, Bhai Phota (in Bengal), and Ningol Chakuba (in Manipur).

All the sisters wake very near the beginning in the morning wear the new clothes and worship and pray to God and Goddesses for the better future and health of their brothers. After puja ceremony celebration takes place including tika ceremony by putting vermillion, dahi and rice on their forehead. After this ceremony they do aarti and offer sweet and glass of water to eat and drink. Finally they exchange gifts and take blessing by touching the feet of elders.

It is also celebrated outside the country. It is just like the Raksha Bandhan festival to enlarge the bond of love among brothers and sisters. At this auspicious day sisters make pray to God for the well being and welfare of their special brothers while brothers offer gifts according to their strength in order to show their love and care for their loving sisters. There are variety of stories and legends which are related to the origin and celebration of this special occasion.

Madhur Manantheshwara Festival

The five day annual festival at Sree Manantheswara Vinayaka temple at Madhur in Kasargod is a colorful experience. On the fourth day, the image of the deity (Thidampu) is taken out in a long pageant.

The staging of different folk arts and 'Yakshagana', the dance-drama of Karnataka add to the partying and animation. The temple is committed to Sree Vinayaka (Ganesha), the destroyer of obstacles.

This internationally renowned spiritual centre founded by Swami Ramdas in 1939, offers a quiet, peaceful ambience best groupd for thought and spiritual studies. A 40 minutes drive away, is the unique Valiyaparamba Backwater stretch.This festival celebrate in all kerala people and wear new saree.  The most scenic Backwaters of Kerala, it is fed by four rivers and is dotted with copious islands. Valiyaparamba is possibly the most scenic Backwaters of Kerala. A cruise centre offering exciting boat rides will soon be opened here. 

Attukal Pongala festival

Faith and beliefs during the Pongala festival celebrated at the famous Attukal Bhagavathi temple in Kerala's capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. The festival entered the Guinness verifications for person the largest single grouping of women for a religious activity.

Pongala is a ritualistic presenting of a sweet dish consisting of rice porridge, sweet brown molasses, coconut gratings, nuts and raisins. Gives offer pongala to appease the presiding deity of the temple - the Goddess - popularly known as Attukalamma.This festival celebrate in women’s and wear new clothes.

Only women are allowed to join in the Pongala ceremony. Right from the night before the Pongala day, thousands of women, in spite of of spiritual faith, gather at the temple property and on either side of the roads leading to the shrine, to make the Pongala offering. 

Kottankulangara Festival

The Kottankulangara Festival is an annual Hindu festival in Kerala, India in which thousands of men dress as women. The festival takes place at the Kottankulangara Devi Temple at Chavara, Kerala which is sacred to the goddess Bhagavathy. Every year this festival is celebrated on the 10th and 11th day of the Malayalam Meenam Maasam which falls on the 24th and 25th of the year.

On the festival day thousand of disciple visits the Temple to ask for the blessings of the Goddess Bhagavathy. The men dress up in the female clothes of their choice. Some wear Set saari, Pattu saari, half saari or even dance costumes.

The famous Chamayavilakku is a perfect festival which is held at the Kottankulangara Sree Devi Temple, Chavara near Kollam, Kerala where thousands of men irrespective of their devout belief get dressed up as women to offer prayers to the Goddess Bhagavathy.

Aranmula Vallamkali

The Aranmula Uthrittathi boat race is considered as a ritual than a race that takes place on the Uthrittathi asterism (as per the local Malayalam calendar) during the Onam festival. There is an interesting story associated with the boat race that makes it all the more beautiful.

Legend has it that a devout Brahmin vowed to offer all the requirements for the thiruvona sadya(the grand traditional feast on the day of Thiruvonam) at the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. Once, the boat known as Thiruvona Thoni carrying these offerings was attacked by enemies. This festival celebrate in all means and wear white color clothes. In order to protect the Thiruvona Thoni people from neighbouring areas sent their  bend boats. Later on, this practice evolved into an offering to Lord Parthasarathy in the form of a snake boat race, held on the Uthrittathi day which eventually became popular as the Aranmula Boat Race.