10-day annual festival in January at

Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals
(Religion and Society
(Routledge))

Sreekandeswaram Temple, Thiruvananthapuram. In February, is the week-long Nishagandhi Dance festival; Pooram festival in Thrissur around April-May; Flavor Food Festival, at the Kanakakunnu Palace grounds, Thiruvananthapuram in May.

Onam Week celebrations, the annual harvest festival of Kerala begins in August and lasts for 10 days. Another important festival is the annual Pongala Utsavam, to which only women are allowed at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram. Therayattam festival is held to propitiate the gods and demons recognized by the pantheon of the Malayalis.

Kerala is one of the most visited tourist

Kerala:
the Development Experience:
Reflections on Sustainability and Replicability

destinations in India. Popular known as God's own country, Kerala is located on the south of India offering a number of picturesque places of tourist interest that attract the attention of tourists from all around the world. It is one of the most beautiful states of India having excellent and admirable tourism infrastructure and a range of tourism options that makes the state India's one of the most popular tourist destination. Lush green & picturesque landscapes, breathtaking backwaters, beautiful beaches dotted with palm coconut trees, thrilling adventure, rich flora & fauna, art & culture, fascinating fairs & festivals, hill stations with exceptional nature beauty, Ayurveda & spa centres, magnificent monuments, terrific temples, wildlife parks & sanctuaries, rich culture & tradition, etc are the prime attractions of Kerala tourism.

Breathtaking beaches of Kerala are the prime attraction in the state. Beautiful beaches dotted with palm coconut attract tourists from all over the world for exciting Kerala beaches tour to enjoy the fascinating blend of sun, sand and surf. Fabulous beauty of Kerala beaches also attracts the couples and honeymooners for celebrating their honeymoon in the land of 3B beauty, beach and backwater. Truly, Kerala honeymoon tour can be a fascinating experience for a couple that lasts a lifetime.

Kerala backwaters are another hallmark of tourism in Kerala. One can't imagine a complete Kerala tour without backwaters. Backwaters are incredible fact of tourism. Backwaters are fascinating blend of canals, lagoons, rivers, lakes, etc. which make this state a popular among tourists. These days backwater tour is quite popular among domestic tourists as well as international tourists. The best way to enjoy your backwater tours in Kerala is to hire a houseboat. Houseboat floating over the breathtaking backwater provides you an excellent opportunity to enjoy mesmerizing views of lush green paddy field, coconut trees, and traditional villages of Kerala. Truly, the Houseboats Tour can be a mesmerizing experience of your lifetime. Couples and honeymooners also head for Honeymoon Tours To Kerala Backwater.

The fascinating land of Kerala is also popular for Kerala wildlife tours among tourists from all around the world. The state is rich in its flora and fauna. There are a number of wildlife parks and sanctuaries in the state. Some of popular wildlife sanctuaries of the state are Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, etc. These wildlife sanctuaries and parks provide a wonderful opportunity to enjoy lush green landscapes and watch the animals and birds attraction.

Hill stations of Kerala are also very popular among tourist due to their extraordinary natural beauty. There are some pristine hill stations in the state which draws the attentions of tourists and also honeymooners to celebrate their exciting holidays. Ayurveda is another prime attraction of Kerala tourism. A large number of tourists from all over the world visit Kerala to get rejuvenate with auryveda - the traditional treatment system of India. Apart form above mentioned attraction of the region, culture of the region also has its own charm attract tourists from all over the world.

Mohiniyattam (also spelled as mohiniaattam, mohiniattom or mohiniyattam is a traditional South Indian dance form from Kerala, India. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress". There are two stories of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini. In one, he appears as Mohini to lure the asuras (demons) away from the amrita (nectar of immortality) obtained during the churning of the palazhi or Ocean of Milk. In the second story Vishnu appears as Mohini to save Lord Shiva from the demon Bhasmasura. The name Mohiniaattam may have been coined after Lord Vishnu, and the main theme of the dance is love and devotion to God, with usually Vishnu or Krishna being the hero. Devadasis used to perform this in temples. But it also has elements of Koothu and Kottiyattom in it. it is a drama in dance and verse.

Mohiniyaattam performer

The dance which has influences and elements from two South Indian dance forms, the Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, was formulated in the court of king Swati Tirunal by Vadivelu, one of the Thanjavur Quartet. The dance involves the swaying of broad hips and the gentle movements of erect torso from side to side. This is reminiscent of the swinging of the palm leaves and the gently flowing rivers which abound Kerala, the land of Mohiniyattam. There are approximately 40 different basic movements, known as 'atavukal', in Mohiniyattam.

The costume includes white sari embroidered with bright golden brocade (known as kasavu at the edges. The dance follows the classical text of Hastha Lakshanadeepika, which has elaborate description of Mudras (gestural expressions by the hand palm and fingers).

The vocal music of Mohiniyattam involves variations in rhythmic structure known as chollu. The lyrics are in Manipravala, a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam. The mohiniyattam dance is performed to this accompaniment by the subtle gestures and footwork of the danseuse. The performer uses the eyes in a very coy yet sensual manner, the purpose being to enchant the mind without enticing the senses.

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