Kerala
is a land of rich cultural heritage and traditions. These traditions have been
passed down for generations and they are infused with deep spiritual meanings.
Along with these traditions there are a few artifacts that are of great
significance and they are said to be symbols of prosperity happiness and
wellbeing. These artifacts are the traditional handicrafts which are unique to
each place. In Kerala many such handicrafts are available which play a major
role during festivals like Onam, Vishu and Navarathri.
Here
are some unique handicrafts native to Kerala:
Onavillu :
It is a bow shaped instrument. Its name is derived from the festival of Onam and the
word bow in Malayalam is Villu. This Onavillu accompanies many folk dances of
Kerala. It is made of the pith of the Palmyra stem or from Bamboo and shaped
like a bow. Bamboo slivers are used as bowstrings. The bowstrings will
reverberate with sound when struck with a short thin stick and the varying
sounds are produced with the pressure applied by the fingers on the
strings. The ceremonial bow is not a
musical instrument, but is a flat piece of wood of required dimension and
decorated with miniature paintings of Anantha Sayanam, and the Dasavatharam,
Shri Rama and Shri Krishna. According to legend when Mahabali visits his land
that is Kerala every year on Onam Day, he gets the darshan of Lord Vishnu
through these paintings. This Onavillu is a sign of prosperity.Kerala tour packages with price will
include travel and stay in different places in the State and you can also buy
some of these traditional handicraft items with you to take back.
Ottuvilakku or more commonly called
Nilavilakku is a lamp made of brass. It forms an integral part of the daily
life of the people. Every morning and evening this lamp is lit in the homes of
people accompanied with prayers. This Nilavilakku also plays a major role in
the presentation of art forms, as the art forms are performed after lighting
the lamp and also many functions are inaugurated by the traditional lighting of
the Nilavilakku. This tradition is followed by Christians and Muslims as well.Authentic Kerala trip will include short trips to
the beautiful and picturesque locations in Kerala. You can also witness the
rich traditions of this place.
Nettipatam:
Nettipatam also called as the Caparison of
Elephants are used to decorate the foreheads of elephants during temple
festivals. These Nettipattam’s are made of copper and is plated with gold. When
they adorn the elephants during the temple festivals these Nettipatam are of
great importance as the main elephant that carries the deity on his shoulders
will look shiny and is revered as God Almighty himself. Nowadays, these Nettipattam’s
are also available as wall hangings and decorative items. Kerala tour packages from Bangalore will include a tour package
during the festive seasons of the major temples in Kerala, so that you can
witness the beauty of the elephants adorned with colorful Nettipattam’s.
Aranmula Kannadi:
Aranmula Kannadi is a handmade metal alloy mirror
made in the place Aranmula. The specialty of this mirror is that it is a front
surface reflection mirror which eliminates secondary reflections and other
aberrations unlike other silvered normal mirrors. The exact alloy used in
making this mirror is kept as a secret by the Vishwakarma family who make them,
however metallurgists believe it to be a mixture of copper and tin, and this is
polished for several day to produce that reflective surface. They are
considered to bring good luck and fortune. Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district
is close to the Eco friendly tourism site Gavi. Wonderful Honeymoon packages in Kerala will include places like Gavi where
you can enjoy the lush greenery of the landscape in this place.
Vallam:
Vallam is the name for boats in Kerala
and the traditional boat races called Vallam kali is a very popular sport here.
Usually played in the months of August and September, the snake boats are also
called Chundan Vallam and are very famous. Churulan Vallam, Iruttukuthy Vallam,
Odi Vallam, Veppu Vallam and many others are also boats used for various purposes. The Nehru trophy race is the most popular snake boat race
held in Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha.
