Witness Chettikulangara Bharani Festival in Kerala 2025
Chettikulangara Bharani is a decorous annual festival held at the Chettikulangara Devi Temple in Alleppey, Kerala. The entire town comes together to honour the goddess Bhagwati Shree Bhadrakali. This post-harvest festival celebrated in late February or at the beginning of March, is organised to thank the goddess for a good harvest and a year full of bounties. The spirit of the Chettikulangara Bharani is lively and joyous, and it stands for upholding India’s rich culture! With giant temple cars, chariots, floats, and mesmerising performances, it is a festival like no other!
Chettikulangara Bharani 2025 Festival Dates
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Chettikulangara Bharani, also known as Kumbha Bharani, is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Kumbham in the Bharani Nakshatra (constellation), hence the name. Usually falling in the first week of March, the date for the Chettikulangara Bharani Festival is thus determined by the Malayalam calendar. In 2025, the festival will be celebrated on Tuesday, 4th of March.
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Origins of Chettikulangara Bharani Festival
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There is a popular story related to the origin of the Chettikulangara Bharani Festival. It is said that a master craftsman and his workers went to build the Kollam-Chavara canal on the King’s orders. However, due to indefinite delays in construction, they were stranded there, not allowed to return. During this time they witnessed the Kettukazhcha floats at Mulankadakam temple in Kollam.
They vowed to goddess Bhagwati that they would build similar floats in her honour every year if they were allowed to leave. The very next day, King’s orders came and they were allowed to return to their home town. As promised the villagers constructed the Kettukazhchas and took them to the Chettikulangara Devi Temple every year. The festival began then, and has been organised every year since.
What is the significance of Kumbha Bharani?
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More than 50,000 people participate in the festivities of Kumbha Bharani. The dedicated efforts of many devout followers in constructing the intricate and beautiful Kettukazhcha floats results in a vibrant festival. The parades and processions through the streets of Chettikulangara bring the townsfolk together. Being a country with a big agriculture sector, it is no surprise that we have so many of our festivals centred around the harvest season and spring season. The festival honours the goddess for a bountiful harvest, and is a fusion of art, architecture, and culture. Chettikulangara Bharani Festival is also under consideration to be included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Kumbha Bharani is also a time to enjoy delectable dishes like Kuthiramoottil Kanji (a kind of porridge prepared on the temple grounds), Konjum Manga (a dish made from prawns and raw mango), and Asthram. People also celebrate by participating in Chettikulangara Bharani Naalil karaoke. Chettikulangara Bharani Naalil was a song from the 1975 Malayalam film Sindhu, in which the speaker describes meeting a beautiful woman at the festival grounds of Kumbha Bharani Festival.
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Kuthiyottam Dance Rituals
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Kuthiyottam is one of the special highlights of the festival. It is said that to appease the goddess Bhadra Kali, a blood sacrifice was made this year. Over the years, with Buddhist influence, the sacrifice became less bloody, remaining today only in symbolic form. Kuthiyottam is this sacrificial ritual offering. The person who vows to offer Kuthiyottam adopts two or four pre-pubescent boys on the day of Mahashivratri who are symbolically sacrificed. The boys are brought over to the sponsor’s house, a canopy is erected and a shrine is built for the goddess.
The boys are trained in the steps of Kuthiyottam dance. Their abdominal skin is pierced with a golden thread in a ritual called Chooral Muriyal. On the day of the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani festival, the boys are taken to the temple, where they perform the dance and songs in praise to the goddess. The threads are then removed from their stomachs and they are considered symbolically dead.
Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani Float Festival
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Kettukazhcha floats, consisting of Theru (chariots), Kuthira (horses), and effigies of Bhima, Panchali, and Hanuman are another great highlight and a primary attraction at the Chettikulangara Bharani Festival. People from the 13 provinces offer 13 different provincial floats, including 6 gigantic and superbly decorated temple floats called Kuthira (meaning horses, although they don’t bear a resemblance), 5 smaller temple chariots called Theru (which resemble pagodas), and effigies of characters from the epic Mahabharata.
The floats, which are about 80 to 85 feet high, are offered to the deity on the day of the festival. The procession of the floats is a sought-after attraction and is even telecasted on the DD National TV channel every year.
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How To Reach Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple
By Air: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, lies about 111 km from Chettikulangara and Cochin International Airport is located about 127 km away. You can find direct and connecting flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, and most other cities. Upon reaching the airport, you can hail a bus or a cab to Chettikulangara in Alleppey. The public transport system is reliable. You can also find autos to travel to the festival grounds.
By Train: Mavelikkara Railway Station and Kayamkulam Railway Station are both located about 6 km away from Chettikulangara. You can also reach Alleppey train station and make your way from there.
By Road: Mavelikkara Bus Stand is about 5 km from Chettikulangara Temple grounds. National Highways 66, 183, and 544 also pass through the city of Alleppey, connecting it to the rest of the country. Once you reach Alleppey, you can take a local bus or book a cab online to take you to Chettikulangara.
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Conclusion
Kumbha Bharani Chettikulangara is a cheerful occasion steeped in tradition and unique rituals. The temple floats at the festival are a one-of-a-kind attraction that lures tourists from all over the country to visit Chettikulangara. Plan a trip to Kerala this spring, and witness this grand occasion with your own two eyes.
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FAQs About Chettikulangara Bharani
What is the world's largest Kettukazhcha?
Chettikulangara Bhagwati Temple in Chettikulangara in Alleppey, Kerala, hosts the biggest temple float (Kettukazhcha) in the world. 13 intricate and architectural Karas (floats) are prepared for the occasion.
What is the story of the Chettikulangara Temple?
The temple is believed to be over 1200 years old, being built in 823 CE. The temple's main deity is Shree Bhadrakali. The temple hosts the Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani festival, where Kuthiyottam dance is performed by adolescent boys, and a procession of beautiful Kettukazhcha floats is carried out annually in Kumbham month of the Malayalam calendar.
Which district is Chettikulangara Bharani celebrated in?
Chettikulangara Bharani is a glorious festival observed at the Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple near the town Mavelikara in Alappuzha district of Kerala.
How tall is Chettikulangara Kuthira in feet?
Kuthiras are the biggest of the temple car floats and can have a height of about 80 to 85 feet.
What is the Speciality of Kumbha Bharani?
The main highlights of Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani festival are the gigantic and vibrant temple floats built by the villagers and offered to the goddess Kali.
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Abhay Kumar is a graduate of English Literature. Writing is both his hobby and his passion. He writes academic research articles as well as poetry and short fiction. He loves reading science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, and translated fiction. He also loves traveling and writing about himself in the third person.
