Thiruvathira in Kerala
|| Kerala Festival || Aaranmula Boat Race || Attukal Pongala || Christmas in Kerala || Deepavali in Kerala || Easter in Kerala || Maha Shivaratri in Kerala || Muslim Festivals in Kerala || Nehru Trophy Boat Race || Onam Festival || Arattu at Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple || Pooram festival || Sabarimala Pilgrimage || Thiruvathira in Kerala || Various Kerala Festivals || Vishu Festival ||
The Thiruvathira festival is celebrated by Kerala people in the Malayalam month of Dhanu (December-January). People worship Lord Shiva at the Shiva temples and there is also celebration at the houses. People have also a belief that this festival is celebrated to commemorate the death of Kamdev, the God of Love in Hindu mythology. It is also said that Thiruvathira is a festival related with birth of Lord Shiva.
Hindu communities celebrate this festival. Women take bath singing songs on seven days from the day of asterism Aswathi. They keep fast on the day; they take only preparations of chama (panicum milicceum) or wheat, plantain fruits, tender coconuts, etc. There is a convention among the
Namboodiris, Ambalavasis (temple-servants) and high class Nairs that each woman should chew 108 betels on that day. At night also women perform some rituals to appease Lord Shiva.
