Chettikulangara Bharani

Celebrated In : Kerala
Centre of Activity : Chettikulangara Bharani Temple
Main Rituals : Kuthiyottam, Kettukazcha
In the month of : February/March
Chettikulagara Bharanai Temple, the famous temple dedicated to the awesome Goddess Bhagavathi is about 5 kms from Kayamkulam. The important festival here occurs on the Bharani asterism in February/ March.
The main rituals of the festival are the 'Kuthiyottam' and 'Kettukazcha'. The 'Kuthiyottam' features a procession of young boys who have observed rigorous ritual penance.

Traditional drums, music and glittering ornamental parasols accompany this procession of boys who dance in a trance


Like different strokes on a large canvas, festivals of Kerala are colourful narratives; each different from the other. The video is of Chettikulangara Bharani, the annual festival of an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali, located in the Chettikulangara village of Alappuzha district.

Kettukazcha
Spectacular Kettukazcha processions, in which brightly decorated structures are taken on chariots, are the highlight of this festival. The processions start from different centres in and around the village and reach the temple premises by evening. It’s a fabulous visual when the sky-high structures line up in the vast field near the temple in the twilight.

The festival is held on the Bharani asterism in the month of Kumbham (February-March), according to the Malayalam calendar. There is also another festival on the Bharani asterism in the month of Meenam (March-April). Both the festivals are attended by large number of devotees.

About VisitMalayalam

Malayalam, a Dravidian language with about 35 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the south west of India, particularly in Kerala, the Laccadive Islands and neighboring states, and also in Bahrain, Fiji, Israel, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, UAE and the UK.

Kerala, one of the most tranquil states of India, lies to the extreme southwest of Indian peninsula.

It is flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats on the east.The state can be divided into hills, valleys, midland plains and coastal belts. Formed in the year 1956, it has 14 districts with Thiruvananthapuram as its capital.

Wedged between the Western Ghats on the East and the Arabian Sea on the West, the narrow strip of land known as Kerala is a destination of a lifetime. The timeless beauty of the palm fringed beaches of Kovalam and Varkala, the majesty of the undulating hills of Munnar and Vagamon, the serenity of the pristine backwaters of Kumarakom & Kuttanad and the enchanting woods and forests of Thekkady and Silent Valley will have you bowled over.That such a small terrain can hold diverse geographical features and cultures is a wonder in itself.


Come, explore and experience...

Keralas Festival : Vishu

Vishu is the Kerala festival held on the first day in the malayalam month of Medam (April-May). Festival of Vishu is also known as the Malayalam New Year day and thus it becomes all the more important for the Malayalees regardless of their religion or sectors.

1st runner up Ms India Parvathy Omanakuttan
Miss Russia Kseniya Sukhinova (middle) has been crowned Miss World 2008 at a glittering ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan (Left) finished as the first runner up and Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott was the second runner-up.
"Miss World 2008 is Russia," announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event.
Parvathy Omanakuttan was born in Kottayam, Kerala but now lives in Mumbai. She is only 20 years old and stands 5′8″ tall. Her measurements are small on top, 32-27-36. she was formerly Miss Navy Queen 2006, and was crowned the first ever Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2008.

Thiruvalla, Land of Rich Culture...

Thiruvalla History
The name Tiruvalla is a colloquial form of Shiruvallabhapuram which is the Malayalam version of the earlier coinage Srivallabhapuram, named after the chief deity of the central temple complex, Sri Vallabhan. It is interesting to note that the ancient name of Thiruvalla was "Valla vai". This name had some relation with the river Manimala which was known as "Vallapuzha". The mouth is known as "Valla vai". On the western part of Thiruvalla, the rivers Pampa, Manimala and Achen Kovil join for a panoramic view. Thiruvalla is a part of upper Kuttanad. The culture and heritage of Thiruvalla are tied up with the temples.

The Sree Vallabha temple
The Sree Vallabha temple, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is at Thiruvalla. The temple has five other deities too. The flag staff of the temple, about 50 feet tall, is made of granite. The flag staff is believed to touch the water table below the earth. Oil lamps light up the woodwork at the entrance to the Sri Vallabhaswami temple and illuminate the beautiful interior. On the top of the flag staff has been installed a three-feet idol of Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Women are not allowed to enter the corridor leading to the sanctum sanctorum except on the Vishnu and Thiruvathira days. Annually two festivals are held, one in February-March and another in March-April. The Utharaseeveli festival is celebrated for one day on the Makayiram asterism in Meenam (March-April).
3kms. from Thiruvalla Railway Station.

The Kaviyoor temple
The Kaviyoor temple in scale and detail,is the representative of Kerala temples. A masterpieces of its workmanship in timber and the intricate sculpture is a joy to experience.

Rock Cut Cave Temple
Located on the banks of the river Manimala. The Kaviyoor Trikkukkudi Cave Temple, also known as the Rock Cut Cave Temple, is of historical importance and is preserved as a monument by the Archaeological Department.It bears close resemblance to the Pallava style of architecture and has prompted historians to date it to a period as early as the eighth century AD. The engravings here are among the earliest specimens of stone sculptures in Kerala. Enshrined in a square cave is the main deity of the shrine Lord Siva represented in the ' Sivalinga' which is about three feet high and carved out of rock. The shrine also has idols of Ganapathy, Maharshi and Dwarapalakas. Another noted shrine in Kaviyoor is the Hanuman Temple which stands on a small hillock and is built in the gable style architecture peculiar to Kerala.
Nearest railway station: Thiruvalla, about 5 km from Kaviyoor.
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport,about 90 km and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 119 km.

Thiruvalla Personalities and Celebrities.....

C. K. Ra
Thiruvalla has given birth to the renowned artist, Shri. C. K.Ra, who was a product of Santhi Nikethan and also a student of Nandalal Bose.


Vishnu Narayanan Namboodiri (B:1939) Born in Peringol, Thiruvalla. Poet, College Teacher.
Among the top ranking contemporary poets of Kerala, Vishnu Narayanan Nampoothiri occupies a unique and luminous place with his poetry drawing thematically and stylistically from the well springs of traditions. After a long and immensely successful career as a Professor of English literature in various colleges, he has, true to his contemplative bend of mind, chosen to serve Lord 'Shri Vallabhan' at the temple in his name at Thiruvalla as 'Shanthi'. For him, life itself seems to have become a long meditative poem with cadences radiant and restrained.

Works: Swaathanthryatthekkurichoru Geetham (A Song about Freedom) (1958) Pranaya Geethangal (Love Songs) (1971) Bhoomigeethangal (Earth songs) (1978) Indyayenna Vikaaram (The feeling that is India) (1979) Mukhamevite (Where is the face) (1982) Aparaajitha (Unvanquished) (1984) Aaranyakam (Related to the forest) (1987) Ujjayiniyile Rappakalukal (Days and Nights in Ujjain) (1988).

AN ACTOR FOR ALL SEASONS - M.G. Soman
Mr. M.G. Soman, the veteran actor of the Malayalam screen, and a household name all over Kerala, is a proud son of Thiruvalla. An actor with an immence range and well nuanced style of his own, he has breathed life into many a memorable character. He is the president of 'AMMA', a union of filim artistes. He has been an inspiring presence in number of cultural festivals in and out of the Kerala and is the recepient of several filim awards. Hearty salutaions to an inimitable actor a great human being who passed away recently.


Mathew T. Thomas
Minister Road Transport, Motor Vehicles, Water Transport, Printing and Stationary.

Blessy
Blessy is a Malayalam film director and writer. He is a movie maker who has worked under Padmarajan and Bharathan. His films are noted for their intense screenplay, poignant moments and the strong emotional bonding between the characters. They typically depict the helplessness and follies of the common man trapped in emotional or physical struggles in uncommon situations.
He scripted and directed his debut movie Kaazcha in 2004. Kaazcha portrayed the story of an orphaned boy, a victim of an earthquake (drawn from a real-life incident of an earth-quake that devastated Gujarat) and how he changes the life of a small-town film operator (played with elan by Mammootty) and his family. The movie was critically well acclaimed.
His next movie was Thanmathra which he scripted and directed in 2005. Thanmathra depicted the story of a middle class person (played by Mohanlal) and his family, whose life is devastated by Alzheimer's disease. The film won Blessy the Kerala State Award for Best Director and Best Script writer.

Meera Jasmine
Meera Jasmine is very talented with good smile actress of south Indian films. She was born in Thiruvalla in Kerala. She started her film career from a Malayalam movie ‘Sutradhaaran’ directed by Lohithadas. She has stared in dozen of Malayalam movies. Rasathanthram, Achuvinte Amma, Perumazhakkalam, Swapnakoodu, Kasthooriman, Ore Kadal, Paadam Onnu Oru Vilapam are some of the movies in which she proved her talent. She got many awards for her performance in film. She won National film award for best actress for the film Paadam Onnu Oru Vilapam. In this film she acted as a 15-year old Muslim girl Shahina, who is forced to marry a old man. Her acting was excellent in this film. She also won Kerala state film award for the best actress in two times for the films Paadam Onnu Oru Vilapam and Ore Kadal. She also acted in Tamil, Kanada and Telugu movies. Her debut film in Tamil is Run which became the the biggest commercial success of the year and in Kannada her first film is Gudumba Shankar. She became famous in Telugu film industry with her first film “Run” which was dubbed from Tamil. She was make a place in the hearts of not only the youth but the whole of south Indian cinema-lovers.

Nayan Thara
Sathyan Anthikad spotted her first in Vanitha. The veteran director was impressed by what he saw, and he decided to cast this young girl from the non-descript village of Thiruvalla, as Jayaram’s heroine in Manasinakkare.

Kerala: Gods Own Country

Kettuvallam is a house boat widely used in Kerala, India. These have thatched roof covers over wooden hulls. The traditional kettuvallam is mainly used for promoting Kerala tourism.