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Christmas Festivities

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Pallivilakku

Pallivilakku is a ritual with lights moving on wooden chariots at Cheriyanad Subrahmania temple near Chengannur in Alappuzha.Thousands of lamps will be lighted on the intricate wooden chariot-like lamp post, which can be moved with the help of thousands of devotees.Touching the Paallivilakku during the procession is considered to be divine and is believed to neutralise the misconducts.To add to the splendor of the ritual, the post will be rotated fast, with the lamps still shining on them. The festival is one of those rare events in which such a large number of lamps are featured.

Mizhavu

Mizhavu is a native drum used in the performance of art forms like Koothu and Kutiyattam.
A large pot-shaped vessel made of copper or clay with the mouth covered with stretched hide, this instrument is unique in producing a vibrant tone enriched with classical rhythm and purity. Considered as a 'Brahmachari' (a Sanskrit word meaning one who observes the vow of brahmacharya), this sacred instrument was allowed to be played only by a person from the Ambalavasi Nambiar Community, Chakkiyar and the Nangiars. It used to be a central part of all the solemn ceremonies like 'Annaprasanam' (first feeding of the baby), 'Namakaranam' (Naming ceremony), and other customary Hindu rites.

Christmas trees

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Merry Christmas!

Bhangra!

The Bhangra is perhaps the most virile form of Indian Folk Dances. Springing from the land of five rivers, it abundantly reflects the vigor, the vitality, the leaven of exuberance, and the hilarity permeated among the rural folk by the promise of a bumper crop. The Bhangra season starts with the wheat sowing and then every full moon attracts teams of young men in every village who dance for hours in open fields.
Bhangra dance is performed to Bhangra Music, which is based around the catchy sound of large drums called dhols. The farmer and his fellow villagers circle round and round in a leaping, laughing caper. It’s a dance that cuts across all divisions of class and education.
At marriages, parties, or celebrations of any sort, it is quite common for men to break out in Bhangra dance. The music with its impulsive rhythms and pulsing beats overcomes the resistance of most spectators. There are few sights more cheering than that of a dignified elder in three-piece suit getting up to join the young fellows for a moment of bhangra revelry.There are several styles of dancing Bhangra. Sialkoti, Sheikhupuri, Tribal, Malwa, Majha. One of the Bhangra's moves is also akin to the moves of Shiv-Tandav dance, which is danced on one leg. Damru, hand-drum is also used in Bhangra which shows that folk dances and war dances have similar parentage.



The sparkling colours, beats and rhythms of Bhangra compel
everyone to tap their feet in time to the music; hence the expression, "Pump up the Bhangra!"



and brillant Michael Jackson bhangra))

Giddha

Giddha - it's a truly colorful dance of punjabi womens.Women have a different but no less exuberant dance called gidda. The dancers enact verses called bolis, which represent folk poetry at its best. The subject matter of these bolis is wide ranging indeed – everything from arguments with the sister-in-law to political affairs figure in these lively songs. Aside from the drums, the rhythm of this dance is set by the distinctive hand-claps of the dancers Giddha is a very vigorous folk dance and like other such dances it is very much an affair of the legs. The embroidered duppattas and heavy jewelry of the participants whose number is unrestricted further exaggerate the movements.

Nagalinga

Common name: Cannon Ball Tree • Hindi: Nagalinga नागलिंग, Tope gola तोप गोला • Kannada: Lingada mara, Nagalingam • Marathi: Shivalingam • Bengali: Kaman gola • Tamil: நாகலிங்கம் Naagalingam
This large deciduous tropical tree, 75' tall and indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, is listed as a rare tree and flower in India. The leaves, up to 6" long, are simple with serrate margin; it flowers in racemes which is cauliflorus; the yellow, reddish and pink flowers are stunning fragrant. These are 3" to 5" waxy aromatic smelling, pink and dark-red flowers growing directly on the bark of the trunk. The tree bears, directly on the trunk and main branches, large globose woody fruits; they look like big rusty cannonballs hanging in clusters, like balls on a string. Cannon ball trees usually carry 'CAUTION' signs posted on the trunks to advise people not to stand close to and directly under the fruits as one can get hurt as they drop off by themselves. The fruit contains small seeds in a white, unpleasant smelling white jelly, which are exposed when the upper half of the fruit goes off like a cover. The long dangling fruity branches give the tree an unkempt appearance. The hard shells are used to make containers and utensils. Cannon ball flowers are considered of special significance in Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka. In Tamil Nadu, it is called Nagalingam flower. The sivalingam shape is visible at the center of the flower and snake shaped pollen is the specialty of this flower and it has very good fragrance. This rare flower can be used for Shiva Pooja.

Panagbenga

Panagbenga is a kankanaey term for "a season of blooming." It is also known as the Baguio Flower Festival, a homage to the beautiful flowers the city is famous for as well as a celebration of Baguio's re-establishment.  The Panagbenga Festival showcases the many floral floats and native dances. Panagbenga festival will have spectators enjoying a multiple floral and float parades over two days.