Kerala's cultural identity is shaped by classical Kathakali and Mohiniyattam dance, the vernacular Malayalam literary tradition led by writers from Ezhuthachan to O. V. Vijayan, and syncretic temple, church and mosque festivals that punctuate the year.
Kerala's cultural corpus rests on classical performing arts recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi: Kathakali, a highly stylised dance-drama; Mohiniyattam, a solo female classical form; Koodiyattam, the world's oldest surviving Sanskrit theatre (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2001); and Ottamthullal, the satirical performance form of Kunchan Nambiar. Traditional martial art Kalaripayattu, referenced in Sangam texts, is regarded as one of the world's oldest fighting systems. Malayalam literature stretches from Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan (16th c., considered the father of the language) through Kumaran Asan, Vallathol and Ulloor — the modern "triumvirate" — to contemporary figures O. V. Vijayan and M. T. Vasudevan Nair; six Jnanpith Awards have been won by Malayalam writers. Landmark festivals include Onam (10-day harvest festival, statewide) and Vishu (Malayalam New Year). Kerala's cinema industry (Malayalam cinema, based largely at Kochi) is one of the four principal southern Indian film industries and has produced 3 Best Feature Film National Awards in recent years.
- Koodiyattam — UNESCO Intangible Heritage
- Kalaripayattu — among the world's oldest martial arts
- 10-day Onam harvest festival
- Six Jnanpith Awards for Malayalam writers
Key facts
- Koodiyattam
- UNESCO Intangible Heritage
- Source: UNESCO · 2001
- Malayalam literature Jnanpith laureates
- 6
- Source: Bharatiya Jnanpith
- Onam
- 10-day harvest festival
- Source: Government of Kerala
- Classical dance forms recognised
- Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattam, Ottamthullal
- Source: Sangeet Natak Akademi
Culture in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram's cultural landmarks include the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple (one of India's 108 Divya Desams), the Kuthiramalika Palace and Napier Museum, the annual 10-day Attukal Pongala (world's largest religious gathering of women), and Kalakshetra-style Bharatanatyam anchored by the Swathi Thirunal music festival every January.
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, rebuilt in its present form in the 18th century by Marthanda Varma of Travancore, is one of the four Divya Desams in Kerala and among the wealthiest religious institutions in the world. The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple's Attukal Pongala festival holds the Guinness World Record for the largest religious gathering of women in a single day (4.5 million women in 2009). The Napier Museum, opened 1855, is one of India's oldest museums. Swathi Sangeethotsavam — the classical music festival honouring composer Maharaja Swathi Thirunal — has been held annually since 1978 at the Kuthiramalika Palace.