My glimpses of art and culture of Kerala

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Kerala is all about vibrancy, vigour and life. You may think it is because of the amount of happy sunshine the small southern state receives throughout the year or the abundance of natural goodness found in its every niche. Whatever the reason maybe, vigour is definitely the keyword in Keralite culture and this joie de vivre is visible in almost all aspects of life there. From the hearty Onam celebrations, tongue tingling fiery cuisine, the muscle relaxing massages, dazzling festivals to active arts, the art and culture of Kerala is bursting with energy. Although, I witnessed only a tiny slice of this vibrancy, the memory of those experiences are engraved in my mind forever. A seasonal boat race, a quirky Tiger Dance festival, an impromptu Syrian Christian dance ceremony, a Cochin evening of Keralite performing arts and most recently the intriguing Theyyam ritual…Kerala has wowed me with its energetic dazzle.

The quirky Pulikali Tiger Dance

My first brush with the art and culture of Kerala was the Pulikali Tiger Dance and it was a bizarre, yet absolutely fantastic experience. Held every year at the small temple town of Thrissur, Pulikali coincides with Kerala’s biggest festival Onam and it includes bodypainted male dancers jiggling their humongous bellies to the beat of drums. The effect is simply out of the world and the sight of rows of pot bellied dancing men with feline snouts painted proudly on their bumps is unforgettable. The vibe of the festival is typically Kerala; electric with energy and expectancy and a happy roar goes through the crowd as the Pulikali Tigermen dance their way into the drunken night. Like most people, I was completely unaware of the festival, till a documentary filming assignment took me to Thrissur. Until that day, I never imagined that massive bellied men could be remotely cute, but the Pulikali Tigers were definitely been awesome. Strangely, the performance was also borderline burlesque and they represented the folksy aspect of the art and culture of Kerala. Although held every year like a real festival, Pulikali is actually a folk art performed by artists during Onam. It literally means “Tiger Play” (Puli=Tiger and Kali=Play in the Malayalam language) and is a 200-year-old art. Initiated by the king of Cochin, Raja Rama Verma, Pulikali was introduced to represent the wild and brave spirit of his forces and he wanted to show off his might by parading his valiant men on Onam. This was the mighty beginning of Pulikali or the Tiger Dance and for more details, you can read more about the Pulikali Tiger Dance 

Vallamkali tops my fav list of the energetic art and culture of Kerala

When it comes to showcasing energy, nothing beats the traditional boat race of Kerala. One of the most amazing and ancient synchronized sporting events, Vallam Kali (as it is known locally), dates back to 300 BC Assyria. Although Vallam Kali includes races of many kinds of boats, it is the Snake Boat Race which hogs the limelight. Being a huge tourist attraction which includes a championship for national trophies. Vallam Kali is nowadays has become synonymous with the snake boat race. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race, held every August near Allepey is the largest of such events and it is a huge crowd puller. Although I did not manage to see the famous Nehru Boat Race, my experience of Vallam Kali was a very enjoyable affair. On a fine autumn morning, a local friend of mine took me near Alleppey where a community Vallam Kali was underway. Being a local affair, the boat race was held among a cluster of neighbouring villages and the palm-fringed water was already been hectic by the time we had arrived. At least half a dozen decorated snake boats bobbed with heaving rowers and smaller canoes, motorboats, and ferries circled around them excitedly. The race started with a resounding fog horn drawing a wild cheer from the crowd of spectators along the banks of the backwaters and soon the rhythmic boatmen song filled the air. Rows of muscled men sat straddling a long snake boat and they raced in rhythm to the musical instructions of the navigators. Though the purse money was small compared to the bigger competitions, the men rowed as if on fire.

The larger than life art and culture of Kerala is incomplete without the iconic Kathakali dance

I cannot deny that while my up, close, and personal experiences of the art and culture of Kerala were intensely fun, their hectic energy overwhelmed me at times. It was also tiring to attend events in the outskirts of the city after long days of filming and to unwind on the last day I treated myself to a Kerala dance show at Greenix Village in Fort Cochin. It was an extremely touristy thing to do and I actually looked forward to a relaxing evening full of dance and music. The show turned out to be a power-packed performance of Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kalaripattu, and Theyyam and once again the energy of the art and culture of Kerala left me enthralled. While Kathakali with its fantastic costumes and mask was very entertaining, Mohiniyattam enthralled me with its sensuous grace and Kalaripattu mesmerized me with its agility. But, it was the Theyyam performance that left me wanting for more, so much so that I returned to Kerala in December 2018 to witness an actual Theyyam ritual in Kannur. To know more about Theyyam, check out the official Theyyam calendar.

There is nothing more intriguing than the Theyyam ritual

“This is crazy! I felt transported back to at least 1,000 years. And this is not a tourist performance like in Africa. People actually believe in it.” These were Tarek’s astonishing words after he witnessed the mysterious Theyyam ceremony in Kannur. We were in a small village somewhere in the northern district of Kerala, when a late-night Theyyam performance blew our minds away. What started as a dance of masked men soon turned into a full-blown fire dance filled with chanting priests, drummers, and fire walking. Believed to predate Hinduism, Theyyam refers both to the portrayed deity and to the actual ritual. These dramatic spirit-possession ceremonies rank as the most extraordinary spectacle of art and culture of Kerala and increasingly every year more travelers are heading north to witness this ritual. Held at village shrines called kavus (sacred groves) throughout northern Kerala, more than four hundred different manifestations of this jaw-dropping ritual exist in the Kannur area. Each is distinguished with its own distinctive costumes, elaborate jewelry, body paints, face make-up and gigantic headdresses called mudi. Theyyam performers believe that they become the deity they invoked and this makes them perform superhuman feats, such as rolling in hot ashes or dancing with a crown that rises to the height of a coconut tree. Theyyam increases in tempo as the night progresses and finally culminates in a frenzy before dawn when often the dancer or a member of the troupe gets struck by a kind of possessed spasm. This was how our 2018 ended amidst the glorious art and culture of Kerala and we stayed at the lovely Kannur Beach House to rejuvenate our souls for the New Year. P.S It was also a fantastic place to recharge the batteries with or without Theyyam.

Follow the rest of the Kerala series

• SAT DARSHAN: ASHRAM TRAVEL FOR THE SOUL
• KERALA TRAVEL MEMORIES
• A KERALA HOLIDAY
• A PERFECT COCHIN STAY
• KOCHI ITINERARY AND TRAVEL GUIDE
• LIFE ALONG THE KERALA BACKWATERS
• KOLLAM, LESSER-KNOWN SIDE OF KERALA
• VALLAM KALI, THE FAMOUS KERALA BOAT RACE
• MUNROE ISLAND, THE QUIET BACKWATER GETAWAY
• COMPLETE KERALA BACKWATERS GUIDE
• PULIKALI TIGER DANCE OF KERALA
• KUMILY, THE LAND OF SPICES AND TEA
• PERIYAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
• KANNUR, THE LAND OF SPICE TRADE
• THEYYAM, WHEN GODS COME DOWN TO EARTH
• NELLIYAMPATHY HILLS
• RETREAT INTO PALAKKAD IN KERALA

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE

Kerala Art Forms and Where to Watch Them

Festival dates follow the Malayalam calendar and change every year – check the Kerala Tourism festival calendar before planning.

Tips for Experiencing Kerala’s Art and Culture

• Arrive early for Kathakali shows in Kochi to watch the make-up being applied – it takes over an hour.
• Theyyam usually runs through the night; ask your homestay in Kannur for the shrine schedule.
• Dress modestly and follow temple rules – some rituals are not open to non-Hindus.
• Ask before photographing performers, and never use flash during rituals.
• Visit Kerala Kalamandalam for a deeper look at classical arts training.

FAQs

What does Kerala look like?
Pot-bellied, body-painted Pulikali tiger dancers with feline snouts; decorated snake boats racing with rows of synchronized rowers on palm-fringed backwaters; elaborately masked and costumed Kathakali dancers; graceful Mohiniyattam performers; agile Kalaripattu martial artists; and masked Theyyam performers in towering, coconut-tree-high headdresses dancing by firelight.

What are the best photo spots in Kerala?
Thrissur during Onam for Pulikali, the Alleppey backwaters for a community Vallam Kali boat race, Greenix Village in Fort Cochin for a staged multi-art show, and a village shrine (kavu) in the Kannur district for an actual Theyyam ritual.

What is my glimpses of art and culture of kerala about?
It traces the author’s own scattered introduction to Kerala’s performing arts across different trips: a chance encounter with Pulikali in Thrissur via a filming assignment, a local Vallam Kali race near Alleppey, a touristy cultural show at Greenix Village, and finally a dedicated December 2018 trip to Kannur to witness a genuine Theyyam ritual.

What makes Kerala visually striking?
The sheer color and physicality of its art forms — painted tiger bellies mid-dance, gilded snake boats in synchronized motion, Kathakali’s dramatic masks and makeup, and Theyyam’s towering headdresses culminating in a fire-walking finale.

When is the best time to photograph Kerala?
Align your visit with festival calendars — Pulikali and Vallam Kali cluster around the Onam season, while Theyyam’s fuller performance season runs roughly from November to May — for the richest cultural material.

Can you describe what visiting Kerala actually looks and feels like, through someone’s own eyes?
The author describes Kerala’s culture as overwhelming in the best way — ‘intensely fun’ though genuinely tiring after long days of filming — and while even a touristy show at Greenix Village left her enthralled, it was witnessing an unstaged, deeply believed Theyyam ritual in Kannur that left the strongest impression and drew her back for a dedicated return trip.

What visual details make Kerala stand out compared to other destinations?
The contrast between polished tourist performances, like the multi-art show at Greenix Village, and an unstaged ritual like Theyyam, which escalates from masked dance into genuine fire-walking and trance-like possession in front of believing villagers, not an audience.

What’s the story behind my glimpses of art and culture of kerala?
It grew out of several separate trips: a chance Pulikali encounter during a documentary filming assignment in Thrissur, a local Vallam Kali race near Alleppey, a relaxing but touristy cultural show in Fort Cochin, and a purposeful December 2018 return to Kannur specifically to see a real Theyyam ceremony.

If I wanted to capture Kerala well in photos, what should I focus on?
Focus on color and motion — painted tiger bellies mid-jiggle, snake boats mid-race with rowers in unison, Kathakali’s elaborate masks and makeup, and Theyyam performers in full costume set against firelight.

What impressions does Kerala tend to leave on first-time visitors?
A sense of near-constant vibrant energy across its festivals and art forms, which can be genuinely exhausting to take in back-to-back — but the rare, unstaged rituals like Theyyam tend to leave the deepest and most lasting impression of all.

What are the main art forms of Kerala?
Kerala’s best-known art forms include Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Kalaripayattu, Koodiyattam, Pulikali, Vallamkali snake-boat races and Kerala mural painting.

Where can I watch Kathakali in Kerala?
Fort Kochi has daily evening Kathakali shows at cultural centres, and Kerala Kalamandalam near Thrissur offers performances and training demonstrations.

When is Theyyam season in Kerala?
Theyyam season runs roughly from December to April in North Malabar, especially around Kannur and Kasaragod.

When is the Pulikali tiger dance held?
Pulikali takes place in Thrissur on the fourth day of Onam, usually in August or September.