DANCE AND FESTIVAL

ONAM : The harvest festival of a Kerala. According to the legent When ther was war between gods and the demons , the demons won the war.
Lord Vishnu, in the guise of a Brahmin boy, Vamanan, went to Mahabali, the demon king and asked him to grant him three steps of land. The wish was granted and Vamanan covered the whole land with his two steps and then he came back to the King asking him where can he place the third step. The king to honour his word, offered his head as the third step. Vamanan pushed Mahabali deep down into the earth. Pleased by his honesty and generosity, the lord in turn granted him a wish that he could visit his kingdom and people on a particular day once a year.
So in order to welcome the vamana ,the women of Kerala make carpets of flower"Athappookkalam in font of their house. Prayers are made in the temple, sanke boat race are organized, special cusines are made and served on plantain leaves.

PONGAL:

The name 'Pongala' means 'to boil over' and the ritualistic offering of porridge made of rice, sweet brown molasses, coconut gratings, nuts and raisins. Pongala, an exclusive festival for women, celebrated in February-March. Held in Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, the festival highlights, Preparation of pongala by thousands of women devotees in the temple courtyard. The chief priest of the temple goes around carrying the sword of the Goddess, blesses the devotees, sprinkles holy water and flower petals on them procession of the deity's idol.