Bharani is a festival dedicated to the female goddess Kali of the Hindu Pantheon. This is a peculiar festival of color, devotion and a statement on the caste schisms of India. Held in March of every year it is a quaint and colorful spectacle of hope, aspirations and sacrifice for the huge number of people who turn up from the rural hinterland of Kerala and Tamilnadu to offer their devotion to the female deity.
Each village or hamlet is led by their chosen Oracle who is dressed in red and gold and carries a large ominous sabre as they dance and swirl with their companions in a state of trance.The female oracles hold their sabres adorned with tinkle bells and sway to a hypnotic rhythm of their mind.
This annual festival is held at the Kodungallur temple in the Thrissur district of Kerala.
