Aluva Sivarathri Festival is the

Sivarathri Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ca ...

celebrated in Aluva Mahadeva Temple in Aluva,

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

in the state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

The celebration of Sivarathri in Aluva is very famous in Kerala. The month of Kumbham is noted for the Sivarathri festival which falls in February – March. Aluva Sivarathri is celebrated at the Siva

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

on the banks of

Periyar River Periyar, , (meaning: ''big river'') is the longest river and the river with the largest discharge potential in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns. ...

and this place is called the Aluva Manal Puram (land with

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...

). Pilgrims offer Bali (sacrifice) to their ancestors in the morning succeeding the holy night. Near the bank of periyar, Aluva Manal Puram, there will be many stalls installed for people for purchasing, shopping, exhibitions, and adventure rides for children and adults. It will remain for two weeks after the offerings of Bali (sacrifice). This festival is celebrated as a remembrance for the lord Shiva.

Gallery

Aluva Manappuram Siva Temple.JPG, Siva Temple at Aluva Manal Puram Aluva Manappuram Bali Tharppanam Sheds.JPG, Aluva Sivarathri Bali at Aluva Manal Puram Bali Tharppanam.JPG, Sivarathri Balitharppanam Proceedings Bath After Bali Tharppanam.JPG, Bath after proceedings Preperations For Bali Tharppanam.JPG, things used for the proceedings of Bali

References

External links

Video of Aluva Siva Temple at Sivarathri festivalThe festival scene
Hindu festivals in Kerala Festivals in Ernakulam district Aluva {{reli-festival-stub