Kerala Tour Packages

Dev Sri

If you like to visit God's own Country, you can choose from Kerala tour packages that offer different options to enjoy Kerala. Kerala tour packages are packed in different flavors, and there is plenty of choice in the form of Ayurveda treatment package, sight seeing package, backwater tourism package, eco-tourism package, adventure tour package, forest, wildlife and trekking package etc. There is always a choice for every need of tourists.

There is Kerala houseboat journey through the tranquil backwaters of Kerala. There is ecotourism Kerala and adventure biking in the natural environment of Thenmala. You can relish an ayurvedic massage in an ayurvedic treatment center of Kerala. Kerala tour package can also include enjoying the various temple festivals of Kerala, each one a treat of colors. UNESCO recognized Koodiyattam, an ancient temple art of Kerala as a Human Heritage Art. There is rich variety of dance forms yet to surface before the world.
If you like, you can choose a Kerala tour package that will get you closer to the traditional methods of treating diseases with a single herb (Ottamooli). Travel Kerala for a first hand knowledge of the variety and excitement of Kerala.

If possible don't choose the Kerala tour package that shows you only the beaches of Kerala and the interiors of a Five-star hotel. To have at least a glimpse at the rich diversity and life of Kerala, you need to choose a package that includes some walking and sweating.

The AC suits in Kerala hotels or a flight over the land can't give you a feel of the rich diversity of this land. Kerala tour packages are not very costly. Choose a Kerala tour package that will expose you to the rich diversity in culture, food, costumes, local customs, weddings, lifestyles, mode of transportation, landscapes, temples, festivals, pilgrim centers, ayurvedic treatment centers… the list is simply endless.

Touring Kerala is not just air-journey and 5-star stay. You can choose Kerala tour package of your choice. Choose the Kerala tour package that exposes you have a pulse of this wonderland.

Onam :Festival of Kerala

Dev Sri
National festival of Kerala, onam is the most important annual event for every Malayalees. Onam is celebrated on the 'Thiruvonam' day of Malayalam month 'Chingam', to mark the visit of Mahabali (also called Maveli) to his land. All people irrespective of religious beliefs or color difference celebrate this festival. The national festival of Kerala coincides with the harvesting season of Kerala. The atmosphere also seems to join the celebration, with the blooming of a variety of flowers and sighting of a lot of butterflies, and songs of birds.

Onam Festival
Onam is a ten-day long festival, starting with Atham day or Chingam month. From Atham, the courtyards of houses, clubs, offices, will be decorated with special floral decorations called Athappoo or onappookalam. The schools of Kerala will be closed for ten days, and children play in swings, go to collect wild flowers to make 'athappoo', dance, sing, visit their relatives. The elders also gift their children with new clothes, ornaments. It is time for gathering of all the members of a family.

Kerala Carnival
Onam is also the carnival season of Kerala, people actively engaging in a variety of activities like boat racing, pulikali (dressing up like tigers or leopards on two feet), ball games, playing marbles, playing dramas and the list of activities is endless. Women also engage in dancing, singing etc. There will be also dance performances of Mohiniyattom, kathakali, etc. and martial arts performance of Kalaripayattu.

Onam Feast
The main attraction of 'thiruvonam' day is a special onam feast, locally called onam sadya or onasadya, which is serving of rice with atleast 15 side dishes on banana leaves. Onasadya will be there in each and every home in Kerala. There is also some dress code to eat the onasadya. Men wear white dhotis with shirt and women white or ivory colored saree and blouse with borders embroidered with golden threads, called kasavu. Children will get a yellow piece of cloth called onakkohdi or manjakkohdi.

Onam shoppingThe main shopping item dress and dress materials. Everyone will buy clothes for themselves and as gifts for their loved ones. Onam festival is the biggest shopping season. Over 90% of sale of handicrafts, artifacts are during this season. Electronics, textile items get about 50% of the annual sales in onam season.

The legend of Onam
The legend behind onam has deep roots in the minds of all Malayalees. Onam myth goes like this. Mahabali was a righteous 'Asura' king. The land got prospered and there was peace everywhere in the kingdom. A kingdom was even better than the heavens with no theft, lies or aggression, so that the gods of heaven got jealous of the able king, Mahabali. Maveli was trapped in a well-plotted drama by Lord Vishnu, and was sent to the netherworld (Patalam). Unlike his ancestors, Maveli did nothing wrong or sinful; he was allowed to visit his people once in a year, that is on Thiruvonam day of Chingam month.

Pronounce onam correctlyThe 'n' in the word onam is pronounced like the n in money and honey. (O+ n ^m) It rhymes with the sound of a bell.

Kerala Boat Race

Dev Sri

Kerala Boat Race is a festival occasion at rivers and backwaters of Kerala. Boat races Kerala are characterized by color, sweat, high-pitched folk music, excitement and teamwork. A typical snake boat team has 115 to 125 members. There will be 10 to 14 such teams competing. There are several snake boat race events, among them Nehru Trophy Boat race, is the most spectacular one. This annual boat-racing event at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha district of Kerala was started in 1952 to commemorate the visit of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

He donated a trophy, which is a replica of a snake-boat in silver with the words of Nehru: "To the winner of the boat-race which is a unique feature of community life in Travancore-Cochin".
The construction of snake boats is also an engineering marvel. The 'Asari' (carpenter) makes the gigantic boat from a huge tree called 'anjili' in Malayalam, which resembles a huge oak tree, characterized for its strength and resistance to rot. During the time of Rajahs (Kings) these snake boats were the vehicles of aggression and defense. Asaris kept the architecture of snake-boat building a secret. Even today, one has to go through many years of training to master the art of snake-boat construction. Scales are rarely used and it is a wonder that the intuition of an asary can produce such un-sinkable boats.

Kerala boat race is made a festival by almost all Malayalee people. Among the 115 or 125 team members, only 99 will row the boats, the rest are to enliven the stage with folk songs and music.
Kerala boat races are there in all parts of the state, but the most spectacular ones are seen in Alappuzha.

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Dev Sri provides Kerala tour and travel information through The Kerala Tourism website. Check out the website to find cool places, genuine Ayurvedic centers and Kerala travel packages.