Late April Festival in Kottayam?

camaysar · Oct 10th, 2009, 21:57

Hello all,

A few years ago I was attending the Puram festival in Trichur. I took a side-trip to Kottayam and ran into a street festival that featured children carrying flower pots on their heads (with plants and flowers growing in them). Others were carrying large cone-shaped displays of flowers, and young men and boys impaled spikes through their flesh. The spikes were tipped with what looked like lemons, as with kabobs.

It was a charming local festival, as opposed to the gigantic Puram. It was obviously agricultural in nature. Anybody know the name of this festival, and a few things about it? Thanks!

machadinha · Oct 10th, 2009, 22:54

While I can't be sure, it seems that Pooram is held after the summer harvest.

Good chance you just ran into a local variant of it I think.

tittooraju · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:24

A may day rally will typically include all what you said.. May be that is what you ran into..

machadinha · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:25

? May Day? In Kerala? Wouldn't that be more like a classic Socialist event? (And then in late April?)

tittooraju · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:25

Even political rallies nowadays in kerala include all those decorations of "kavadi".

tittooraju · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:28

What did you think of kerala.? We have all the trade unions in the world here. And they celebrate may day in good spirit..
And who said may day is reserved for socialists.?

machadinha · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:30

Hm, interesting. The impalement theme (with your kavadi attam, or dance, then) clearly reminded me of the (Tamil) festival of Thaipusam. The dates of which would again not match though.

But this might explain something then.

<cross-posting> What I meant is since Kerala has been strongly communist for a long time, I'd have expected May Day celebrations or rallies there to follow a more formal and secular format. Unlike traditional folk celebrations, in the socialist sense (i.e., of Labor Day) it originated in commemoration of the Haymarket massacre in Chicago 1886 of course, centering around the (then) struggle for an eight-hour work day, although perhaps known to few today.

tittooraju · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:42

Kavadi is done by people as a profession, as per order for all type of rallies nowadays..

kerala is communist in the meaning that its the communist party that is in power not that the communist principles are followed by people.. Those principles are not even followed by the party properly..

tittooraju · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:45

And the celebrations do have a folk pattern which i am surely the pattern in kottayam as i have witnessed it myself many times..

machadinha · Oct 10th, 2009, 23:47

Er, yes, fine. I think we're digressing.

May Day wouldn't seem very likely in late April. What do you make of my theory that, along with your assertion that such dances or rituals are now widely performed, the poster may have witnessed a local variant of Pooram? Do you know of any other festivals in Kottayam that time of year that might fit the bill?

camaysar · Oct 11th, 2009, 00:43

Fascinating responses to my post.... thanks for that. I can pin down the dates more securely. The festival in Kottayam took place on April 24th (Vaishakh 4). Puram was April 28th (Vaishakh 8). There was no mistaking the agricultural focus of the event. The only red I saw was in some of the flower petals

tittooraju · Oct 11th, 2009, 01:41

Was that in kottayam city itself or some outskirts.?

camaysar · Oct 11th, 2009, 01:59

camaysar · Oct 11th, 2009, 02:30

I believe this was near Kodimatha, not in the city center. I did not see a single other western traveler there, though one would imagine plenty of tourists in India for Puram would want to make a quick stop at Kumarakom while in the general area, before or after braving the crowds at Trichur.

I stayed at the Vembanad Lake resort, which was, I believe, walking distance from the festival I described.

tittooraju · Oct 11th, 2009, 02:37

So that might not be the thirunakkara pooram..
May be any temples near kodimatha..
I haven not heard about agricultural festivals as such near kottayam..

Oct 10th, 2009, 21:57	#1
camaysar Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: hawaii Posts: 10	Late April Festival in Kottayam? Hello all, A few years ago I was attending the Puram festival in Trichur. I took a side-trip to Kottayam and ran into a street festival that featured children carrying flower pots on their heads (with plants and flowers growing in them). Others were carrying large cone-shaped displays of flowers, and young men and boys impaled spikes through their flesh. The spikes were tipped with what looked like lemons, as with kabobs. It was a charming local festival, as opposed to the gigantic Puram. It was obviously agricultural in nature. Anybody know the name of this festival, and a few things about it? Thanks!

Oct 10th, 2009, 22:54	#2
machadinha brother my cup is empty member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 14,370	While I can't be sure, it seems that Pooram is held after the summer harvest. Good chance you just ran into a local variant of it I think. __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

Oct 10th, 2009, 23:24	#3
tittooraju 20LEGEND Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Home sweet home.. "Kerala" Back from a journey of a lifetime.. Posts: 149	A may day rally will typically include all what you said.. May be that is what you ran into.. __________________ Ente keralam ethra sundaram.. www.sarathkumar.blog.com

Oct 11th, 2009, 01:59	#13
camaysar Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: hawaii Posts: 10	Some pics of festival Last edited by Aishah : Oct 11th, 2009 at 09:10.

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Oct 10th, 2009, 23:25	#4
machadinha brother my cup is empty member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 14,370	? May Day? In Kerala? Wouldn't that be more like a classic Socialist event? (And then in late April?)

Oct 10th, 2009, 23:28	#6
tittooraju 20LEGEND Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Home sweet home.. "Kerala" Back from a journey of a lifetime.. Posts: 149	What did you think of kerala.? We have all the trade unions in the world here. And they celebrate may day in good spirit.. And who said may day is reserved for socialists.?

Oct 10th, 2009, 23:30	#7
machadinha brother my cup is empty member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 14,370	Hm, interesting. The impalement theme (with your kavadi attam, or dance, then) clearly reminded me of the (Tamil) festival of Thaipusam. The dates of which would again not match though. But this might explain something then. <cross-posting> What I meant is since Kerala has been strongly communist for a long time, I'd have expected May Day celebrations or rallies there to follow a more formal and secular format. Unlike traditional folk celebrations, in the socialist sense (i.e., of Labor Day) it originated in commemoration of the Haymarket massacre in Chicago 1886 of course, centering around the (then) struggle for an eight-hour work day, although perhaps known to few today.

Oct 10th, 2009, 23:42	#8
tittooraju 20LEGEND Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Home sweet home.. "Kerala" Back from a journey of a lifetime.. Posts: 149	Kavadi is done by people as a profession, as per order for all type of rallies nowadays.. kerala is communist in the meaning that its the communist party that is in power not that the communist principles are followed by people.. Those principles are not even followed by the party properly..

Oct 10th, 2009, 23:45	#9
tittooraju 20LEGEND Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Home sweet home.. "Kerala" Back from a journey of a lifetime.. Posts: 149	And the celebrations do have a folk pattern which i am surely the pattern in kottayam as i have witnessed it myself many times..

Oct 10th, 2009, 23:47	#10
machadinha brother my cup is empty member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 14,370	Er, yes, fine. I think we're digressing. May Day wouldn't seem very likely in late April. What do you make of my theory that, along with your assertion that such dances or rituals are now widely performed, the poster may have witnessed a local variant of Pooram? Do you know of any other festivals in Kottayam that time of year that might fit the bill?

Oct 11th, 2009, 00:43	#11
camaysar Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: hawaii Posts: 10	Fascinating responses to my post.... thanks for that. I can pin down the dates more securely. The festival in Kottayam took place on April 24th (Vaishakh 4). Puram was April 28th (Vaishakh 8). There was no mistaking the agricultural focus of the event. The only red I saw was in some of the flower petals

Oct 11th, 2009, 01:41	#12
tittooraju 20LEGEND Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Home sweet home.. "Kerala" Back from a journey of a lifetime.. Posts: 149	Was that in kottayam city itself or some outskirts.?

Oct 11th, 2009, 02:30	#14
camaysar Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: hawaii Posts: 10	I believe this was near Kodimatha, not in the city center. I did not see a single other western traveler there, though one would imagine plenty of tourists in India for Puram would want to make a quick stop at Kumarakom while in the general area, before or after braving the crowds at Trichur. I stayed at the Vembanad Lake resort, which was, I believe, walking distance from the festival I described.

Oct 11th, 2009, 02:37	#15
tittooraju 20LEGEND Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Home sweet home.. "Kerala" Back from a journey of a lifetime.. Posts: 149	So that might not be the thirunakkara pooram.. May be any temples near kodimatha.. I haven not heard about agricultural festivals as such near kottayam..

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