{"id":1385,"date":"2020-02-07T18:54:55","date_gmt":"2020-02-07T13:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.keralatourism.holiday\/blog\/?p=1385"},"modified":"2020-02-07T18:54:57","modified_gmt":"2020-02-07T13:24:57","slug":"thaipooyam-mahotsavam-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.keralatourism.holiday\/blog\/thaipooyam-mahotsavam-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Thaipooyam Mahotsavam 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Event\nDate: <\/strong>8th\nFebruary 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venue:<\/strong> Kerala<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Festivals are an integral part of\u00a0Kerala<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0culture.\u00a0Kerala<\/strong><\/a>, being a land of diverse culture and religion, celebrates myriads of festivals that are diverse as well. The beauty of\u00a0Kerala<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is magnified by these festivals that not only portrays the culture and heritage of the state but also exhibit the devotion of the people for their respective deity. One such festival is the\u00a0Thaipooyam Festival,\u00a0<\/strong>dedicated to the Hindu deity\u00a0Lord Subramanya (Lord Muruga),<\/strong> son of\u00a0Lord Shiva.\u00a0<\/strong>It is celebrated with great devotion all across Kerala<\/strong><\/a>, especially at\u00a0Subramanya Temples<\/strong>\u00a0or some\u00a0Shiva Temples<\/strong>. This year Thaipooyam Festival<\/strong>\u00a0falls on\u00a08th February 2020<\/strong>.\u00a0Koorkancherry Sree Maheswara Temple, <\/strong>Thrissur<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple, Haripad, <\/strong>Alleppey<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0are the famous temples in\u00a0Kerala<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that celebrate Thaipooyam Festival<\/strong>\u00a0every year with great grandeur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to know more about Thaipooyam Mahotsavam 2020:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thaipooyam Mahotsavam 2020:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thaipooyam<\/strong> is a famous Hindu\nfestival celebrated all across South India<\/strong> like Kerala<\/strong><\/a>, Tamil Nadu<\/strong>, etc and also by the\nTamil speaking community settled in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore,\nSouth Africa, <\/strong>and elsewhere around the world. Thaipooyam\nFestival<\/strong> is all about faith, endurance and penance and is dedicated to Lord\nSubramanya<\/strong>, son of Lord Shiva <\/strong>and Goddess\nParvathi. Lord Subramanya <\/strong>is also known as Muruga, Karthikeya,\nSanmukha, Shadanana, Skanda and Guha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A glimpse of Thaipusam Festival celebration in Kuala Lumpur Batu Caves<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Every year\u00a0Thaipooyam Festival<\/strong>\u00a0is observed on the Pushya star of Makara Masa which falls between the months of January and February. Thaipooyam Festival<\/strong>\u00a0is recognized as the celebration of the victory of good over evil. The festival commemorates the day when\u00a0Goddess Parvathi<\/strong> gave\u00a0her son Lord Subramanya\u00a0<\/strong>an invincible lance,\u00a0‘Vel’<\/strong>\u00a0with which he destroyed evil demons.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nLegend:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Legend has it that in ancient times the Devas were defeated by Tharakasura, an Asura king. Devas prayed to\u00a0Lord Shiva<\/strong>\u00a0to save them from the demons. And\u00a0Lord Shiva<\/strong>, from his own power, created \u2018Skanda \u2013 the evil vanquisher<\/strong>\u2019 which was gifted to\u00a0Lord Subramanya<\/strong>\u00a0by his mother, Goddess Parvathi\u00a0<\/strong>to destroy the Asuras. Devas fought with the Asuras under the leadership of\u00a0Lord Subramanya\u00a0<\/strong>and won the battle as Tharakasura was killed by Skanda (Subramanya). Hence,\u00a0Thaipooyam Festival<\/strong>\u00a0is celebrated in\u00a0Kerala<\/strong>\u00a0to recognize the victory of Skanda over Tharakasura or the good over evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rituals And Celebrations:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The spectacular\u00a0\u2018Kavadiaatam\u2019<\/strong>, a colourful ritual dance is a votive offering to\u00a0Lord Subramanya\u00a0<\/strong>during\u00a0Thaipooyam Festival<\/strong>. Dressed in bright yellow or saffron robes, devotees carries on his shoulder an ornate Kavadi- a huge bow, richly decorated with peacock feathers (peacock is regarded as the vehicle of Lord Subramanya) or flowers, and perform simple moves with twist and spin in a row according to the pulsating beats of percussion instruments like Udukku<\/strong>, Chenda<\/strong>, etc. And the group of Kavadi dancers makes for an exotic sight to behold and the exuberant colours and frenzy induced by the spirited dancers creates an otherworldly bliss to revel in.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Devotees<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As per the rituals, to perform Kavadi, the devotees have to undergo 41 days<\/strong> of strict penance with utter devotion. Kavadi Vratham<\/strong> starts by wearing Tulsi mala<\/strong> or Rudraksha mala<\/strong> worshipped in the temple and the devotees who wish to take Kavadi should wear only yellow or orange dothis from the first day of the Vratham(fasting)<\/strong>. They are advised to follow brahmacharyam<\/strong> and are not permitted to travel out of his locality. They should follow a vegetarian diet without the use of drugs or liquors. While following the Vratham they should not wear footwear\u2019s and shirts. The success of the Vratham depends on completing the 41 days penance in worshipping the Lord and following the guidelines strictly without any violations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"kaavadiyattam<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Kavadiyattam symbolizes the dance of\u00a0Lord Shiva\u00a0<\/strong>and it starts at a slow pace and at the end it reaches the faster pace like that of Shiva Thandava. Kavadi is considered as a symbol of burden and some Kavadi dancers even pierce their cheeks with lances and dance in a trance as an offering to Lord Subramanya<\/strong>. Devotees believe that their evil deeds and thoughts will come out of their body by piercing own body as it is painful and self-punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thaipooyam\nFestival<\/strong> and\nits spectacular Kavadiaatam attracts thousands of people every year due to its\nsheer vibrancy and ecstasy on display. The captivating procession of caparisoned\nelephants is added delight and the dazzling display of fireworks marks the end\nof this colourful festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Though the presiding deity of the Koorkancherry Sree Maheswara Temple<\/strong> in Thrissur<\/strong><\/a> is\u00a0Lord Shiva, Thaipooyam Festival\u00a0<\/strong>is one of the grand festival celebrated here in reverence of\u00a0Lord Subrahmanya<\/strong>, son of\u00a0Lord Shiva<\/strong>. The temple witness thousands of devotees during Thaipooyam Festival. Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple Haripad\u00a0<\/strong>in Alleppey<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>district is another famous temple in Kerala<\/strong><\/a> that celebrates Thaipooyam Festival<\/strong>\u00a0with much pomp and devotion. It is considered as one of the oldest temples in Kerala, established even before Kaliyuga by Lord Vishnu, who is said to have appeared as a saint to sanctify the temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Popular\nTourist Attractions In Kerala:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kerala<\/strong><\/a> is a favourite hotspot of\ntourists worldwide. It is renowned for its amazing tourist destinations dotted\nwith natural wonders, historical edifices, and architectural marvels in the\nform of stunning temples and churches, palaces, monuments, etc. Some of the\npopular tourist attractions in Kerala<\/strong><\/a> are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n