Festivals of India
THRISSUR POORAM (April-May)
'Pooram', the most colourful temple festival of Thrissur (Kerala), attracts thousands of people to witness the grand elephant procession. Beautifully caparisoned elephants in two processions representing the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu temples, compete to create impressive sights and sounds. Each group is allowed to perform with a maximum of fifteen elephants and extensive efforts are made by each party to insure that best elephants of South India are used and decorated with the most colourful and artistic cloaks.
HEMIS FESTIVAL (June)
Hemis festival is held in Ladakh at the Hemis Gompa, the largest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. The two-day festival is marked by prayers and the display of an age-old thangka (religious painting) which is just one of the treasures housed at Hemis. All through the festival, traditional dances are performed by masked monks.
TARNETAR FAIR (August-September)
The small hamlet of Tarnetar, about 75 kilometres from Rajkot is the site of one of Gujarat's most well known annual fairs. This three-day fair is held at the Temple of Shiva or Trinetreshwar (three-eyed god) popularly known as Tarnetar. The fair is attended by tribes from the adjoining areas who indulge in dancing, competitive sports and other forms of entertainment. The special feature of the fair is primarily is to forge matrimonial alliances.
SNAKE BOAT RACES (August-September)
The annual Snake Boat races festival held in Alappuzha, Kerala during the occasion of Onam Festival, is a thrilling event where giant Snake Boats compete for the prestigious Nehru Trophy. The 50 m long wooden boats, each powered by over 100 oarsmen, attract the star attention as they slice through the waters - revived by songs and war cries - cheered by thousands of spectators lining the banks.
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