Onam
Kerala's most important festival is Onam which is celebrated in honour of the ancient Asura king Mahabali. Each and every Malayalee across the globe celebrates the harvest festival of Onam.
Snake Boat Races
The famed snake boat races along the backwaters at Champakulam, Aranmula and Kottayam is one of the major attractions of onam.
Vishu
Vishu is the traditional Malayalee new year. The hue for the festival is yellow. There is a feeling that the land too is celebrating as the cassia trees lining the roads bloom with bright yellow flowers during this season. In the evening a burst of crackers lights up the sky.
The Great Elephant Race
This is not exactly a local festival. It is a four-day-long extravaganza arranged by Kerala Tourism which ends in Thiruvananthapuram. 101 caparisoned elephants start marching from Thrissur on January 17th every year and reach Thiruvananthapuram on the fourth day with a stop over at Kochi and Alappuzha. Tourists can have glimpses of Kerala culture by watching the boat races and folk art performances that are arranged during this period.
