Kerala Oracles celebrate Bharani festival

October 9th, 2009 KOTTAYAM - The Kerala Congress-Secular (KC-S), supporting the state's opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), Friday announced it will merge with the Kerala Congress-Mani (KC-M). The mergers decision was unanimous, five-time legislator P.C.

September 28th, 2009 CHERPU - Hundreds of children in Kerala were initiated to the formal learning of alphabets in a ceremonial way on Vijayadashami that was celebrated on Monday. To mark this occasion, considered as auspicious particularly by Hindus, elders took their kids to the local temples where they were made to etch the first ever alphabets on grains of rice or sand and thus usher the children to the world of academics.

September 6th, 2009 TRICHUR - Performers dressed as tigers and danced in the traditional Pulikali, or tiger dance, here on Saturday marking the end of the annual harvest festival, "Onam". The harvest festival of Onam is the season for staging some of the dying traditional folk dances in the tourist hotspot of Kerala.

September 2nd, 2009 THRISSUR - A glittering floral pattern made of gold, pearls and precious stones has specially been designed to celebrate the harvest festival Onam at Thrissur in on Wednesday. A well-known jewellery group, Jos Alukkas creates such floral pattern every year, though with some innovation in Kerala.

May 4th, 2009 THRISSUR - Hundreds of thousands of devotees gathered at Thrissur town in Kerala for Thrissur Pooram, one of the most colourful and grandest temple festivals. The festival witnesses 30 richly caparisoned elephants divided into two rival groups facing each other in the temple premises amidst drum beats and frenzied shouting of devotees.

May 2nd, 2009 THRISSUR - Thousands of people witnessed spectacular fireworks ahead of Thrissur Pooram, one of the most colourful and grandest temple festivals, in Kerala. 'Thrissur Pooram', said to be the mother of all festivals, will be celebrated on Sunday.

May 1st, 2009 THRISSUR - The final arrangements for the Thrissur Pooram, the most colourful temple festival of Kerala, were in full swing here Friday with police tightening security and artistes practising their routines to ensure a dazzling display of sound and colour for the spectators Sunday. The Thrissur Pooram, celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medom (April-May), is a grand assembly of gods and goddesses from various villages and towns in and around Thrissur town.

April 5th, 2009 PALAKKAD - Nenmara Vallangi Vela, is one of the grandest temple festivals of Kerala, which also described as being second only to the famous annual temple festival Thrissur Pooram. Nenmara Vallangi Vela is an annual temple festival celebrated in the district of Palakkad in Kerala.

March 31st, 2009 KOLLAM - Cheered on by onlookers, a few bravehearts chased an elephant, and tried to catch its tail during a unique ritual in Kollam in Kerala. Devotees gathered at the Umayanallur Sri Bala Subrahmanya Swamy Temple to celebrate 'Aanavaal Pidi', which entails catching the tusker's tail.

March 26th, 2009 KOLLAM - In a bizarre festival in Kerala, men take the guise of women and carry lamps to offer prayers at temple. Popularly known as 'Kottankulangara Chamayavillanku', the festival is held at the Kottankulangara temple in Chavara, near Kerala's Kollam district.

March 25th, 2009 KOLLAM - Every year for two days men make a beeline for a temple in Kerala for a festival carrying lamps - and dressed up as women. The 19-day-long festival concludes Thursday at the Kottankulangara Devi temple at Chavara near here.

March 18th, 2009 MATTANCHERRY ISLAND - Thousands of residents in Mattancherry Island of the state celebrate the festival by bathing in turmeric mixed water to get rid of skin diseases. People take out an effigy of God Kama in a procession.

February 27th, 2009 TRISSUR - Five workers, including a woman, were killed and an equal number seriously injured when a fire triggered blasts at two cracker manufacturing units in Kerala Thursday evening, police said. The incident occurred near Pattambi in Palakkad district, which also houses Chief Minister V.S.

February 11th, 2009 KALLOOPPARA - The police here have taken into custody Josekutty, the only son of former Kerala speaker T.S. John, for his suspected involvement in the murder of his mother Wednesday night.

December 24th, 2008 KOTTAYAM - After attending the midnight mass, Christians across Kerala got up early Thursday and headed for the dawn mass, heralding Christmas celebrations with traditional fervour and style. 'We are really tired because after a long time my friends formed a group and went to around 50 homes in our neighbourhood in Thiruvalla and sang carols,' said Roy Jacob, a Dubai-based banker who came home to celebrate Christmas.