Jagannatha Festival

Jagannatha Festival is a colourful eight-day festival, which is held in the Malayalam month of Kumbham that is February or March at the Jagannatha Temple at Madathiparambu, near Thalassery in Kannur. The quite township of Kannur bursts into a flurry of activities with religious conferences, fireworks, cultural programs and of course, elephant pageantry. The Jagannatha Temple is one of the most revered Hindu shrine in this part of Kerala. The temple draws much of its fame from conducting inter-caste marriages, which is still considered a taboo in many parts of India. Sree Narayana Guru, a celebrated social reformer of Kerala, founded the temple toward the beginning of the past century. It enshrines the idol of Lord Jagannatha (Siva). A statue of the founder is also housed in the temple. Jagannatha Festival continues for eight days of celebration. The seventh day is considered the most auspicious. Seven elephants decked in gorgeous fineries and clothes make a procession. Hundreds and thousands of devotees throng at the temple from every part of Kerala on the occasion of Jagannatha Festival. Another unique part of the Jagannatha Festival is the religious conferences. Scholars and social leaders from various corners of the state come to take part in the conferences.