Aluva Sivaratri Festival



Detailed Information about Aluva Sivaratri Festival & Its Importance


Aluva Sivaratri is an important festival celebrated in the southern region. Every year this festival people of all classes, castes and creeds assemble here to celebrate this festival with lots of enthusiasm and zeal in the Siva temple situated at Aluva Manappuram. This famous temple is situated near the River Periyar, which is known as the Dakshin Ganga. Its purity is equalised with the holy river Ganga which is situated in the north. This festival is most important festival among Hindus.

Every year many devotees come to this place to perform the holy rituals in the name of Lord Siva. One of the main rituals that are performed is Bali tharpanam, in which the devotees honour their forefathers in which the some sacrifice is given in the form of animal on this holy night. In the morning the devotees pay their heartiest devotion to the Lord Siva and then followed by the devotional night where the devotees and pilgrims come here to pay their love and devotion to their God. On this day the devotees offer fast in the morning and chants the name of Lord Siva 'Om NamahShivaya'. The bhajans and hymns are sung in the name of Lord Siva, holy purans and holy texts are read throughout the day and night on the day of Sivaratri. The fast is broken on the next morning of the Sivaratri. The female member of the family performs all rituals related to the holy Lingum, on which holy water of Dakshin Ganga and milk on it. The married women pray for long life, health and wealth of their husbands and sons and the unmarried women pray for acquiring a great husband like Lord Siva, as Goddess Parvati used to do. On this day the devotees are supposed to stay awake whole night so some folk songs are organised by the females. It is believed that whoever chant Lord Siva name with full dedication and concentration that person will be free from all sins and God will liberate him or her from the cycle of life and death. On this day the pleasant smell of the flower and the incense stick fills the whole environment with devotion and pious.

A fair is organised by the tourist department on this day which is called 'AluvaSivaratri Fair'. The sheds or stalls are made up of bamboos and coconut leaves on which traditional and rare household items are on display, kitchen utensils and cutting tools. The modern Kerala get to know the ancient usage items and its uniqueness. Sleeping mats are sold which are made of rare plants and bushes, mats for various different purposes. The special and ancient door mats are made of fibres of rare plants and shrubs. Hand fan are available which is actually scented, people used to use in the early times. In this fair the different dance and folk songs are organised by the locals. The tourists can come here to relish the importance of festival in the mind of all incredible Indians.