Are you going on a Kerala tour? Understanding Kerala culture will help you to connect with locals easily. In this article, I will share useful information about the arts and culture of Kerala. Kerala is considered a most cultured state. Its unique form of dancing, music, festivals, food and many more give a civilized essence to the tourists. Here we go!

1. Traditional Music of Kerala:

The classical music of Kerala is the Carnatic style that reveals the regional musical arts of Kerala. The native music of Kerala is “sopanam” that provides the background music to Kathakali. Apart from this the traditional music of Kerala includes melam with Paandi and Panchari variants. Popular music in Kerala includes light music, pop music and devotional Carnatic music.

2. Dance forms of Kerala:

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Kerala is blessed with many art forms and dances and these dance forms are gaining popularity in all over the world, especially the Kathakali dance form. Apart from Kathakali, Theyyam, Koodiyattam, Thullal, Duffmuttu or Aravanmuttu, Kaikottikali or Thiruvathirakali, Oppana Dance, Thitambu Nritham, Margamkali are other popular dance forms of Kerala. The costume of Kathakali involves three qualities of nature that are satya, rajas and tamas. The background music of Kathakali is given by four instruments, Chenda, Chengila, Maddalam, and Elathalam.

3. Kerala Food:

Kerala cuisines are highly characterized by the use of coconut. The food which uses coconut is the traditional food of Kerala. They like both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes equally. Food of Kerala cannot be imagined without the use of chilies, mustard seeds, tamarind and asafetida. Some most popular dishes of the south are Avial, Kalan, Olan, Thoran, Pineapple Pachhady, Semiya Payasam, Kappa, Idli, Masala dosa, Sambar, Coconut chutney and many more. Seafood is mostly admired in Kerala and you can consume it with every meal. The most wonderful drink of Kerala is tender coconut juice.

4. Cultural Festivals of Kerala:

The most popular festival of Kerala is Onam, celebrated for a period of 10 days. This is a Hindu festival and falls in between the month of August and September. This festival is also known as the harvest festival of Kerala. Another important festival of Kerala is Vishu which is generally held on 14^th, 15^th or 16^th day of April month. This day is considered the most promising day to start any new thing. Other major festivals are Navarathiri, Sree Padmanabha’s Arattu, Thiruvathira festival, Makara Jyothi, Attukal Pongala and Theyyam. Do you want to enjoy Kerala’s festival? Book your Kerala tour during the festival season.

5. Traditional Dress of Kerala

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Females dress up with the traditional attire called a Set Mandu (similar to a sari) and the males dress up with the white mundu called a dhoti and shirt. But in cities, men also wear pants and shirts. No specific outfit for the young generation, they can wear whatever they want. Keralites are very open to social and technological developments.

6. Modern & Traditional Games of Kerala:

Kalarippayattu is a martial art in Kerala. It is one of the several ritual games for the Keralites. Apart from this Kerala people also love theyyam and the poorakkali art forms. However, in modern times they are crazy about Cricket, Badminton, Soccer, and Kabaddi. Many great athletes who excelled at the national as well as international level like Suresh Babu, T.C.Yohannan, Valsamma, P.T.Usha and Anju Geoge all belong to Kerala.

7. Religious Temples of Kerala:

Kerala is connoted as God’s own country due to its varied culture and tradition. Kerala is also called as the land of temples, mosques, and churches. The famous temples of Kerala include Aaranmula temple, Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, Chottanikkara temple, Ambalapuzha temple, Vadakkunnathan temple, Ettumanoor temple, Guruvayoor temple, Lokanarkavu Temple Thiruvanaya Temple, and many more. Kerala has a realistic presence of God.

8. Life Style of Kerala:

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Kerala people are known as Keralites. They are very simple and well-cultured. They believe in simplicity and originality not in showing off. They prefer to make a balanced diet and even can say they are very health conscious. Keralites are very particular with their choices.

Conclusion:

The unique features of Kerala made it a best tourist destination. The originality and the simplicity of the Keralites are really worthy of applause. Whatever you want to see, Kerala has everything in its lap. Book your Kerala tour package today from leading tours and travel operator in Kerala.

Image courtesy: Flickr/rageshev