(1) Sivaratri.--Worship of Siva on the last day of Magha. Fast
and vigil at night, and puja.
(2) Upakarma.--The regular day for putting on a new sacred
thread, after having cleansed away the sins of the year through
the prayaschittam, in which ceremony the five sacred products of
the cow (milk, curds, ghi, urine, and dung) are partaken of. It
is done on the 15th of Sravana.
(3) Nagara panchimi.--The serpent god is worshipped, and bathed
in milk. On the 5th of Sravana. This festival is common in
Southern India.
(4) Gokulashtami.--Fast and vigil at night, to celebrate the birth
of Krishna. Puja at night, on the eighth day of the latter half
of Sravana.
(5) Navaratri.--The first nine days of Asvayuja are devoted to
this festival in honour of Durga.
(6) Dipavali.--Observed more particularly in North Malabar on
the anniversary of the day on which Krishna slew the rakshasa
Naraka. Everyone takes an oil bath. On the last day of Asvayuja.
(7) Ashtkalam.--The pitris (ancestors) of the family are
propitiated by offerings of pinda (balls of rice) and tarpana
(libations of water). On the new moon day of Dhanu.
(8) Vinayaka Chaturthi.--The elephant-headed god of learning is
worshipped. At the end of the ceremony, the idol is dropped into
a well. On the 4th of Bhadrapada.
(9) Puram.--The god of love, represented by a clay image, is
propitiated by unmarried girls with offerings of flowers seven
days successively. The image is finally given, together with some
money, to a Brahman, who drops it into a well. The flowers which
have been used to decorate the image are placed by the girls at
the foot of a jak tree. Contrary to the custom of other Brahmans,
Nambutiri girls are under no disgrace, should they attain puberty
while unmarried. In the month of Mina.
(10) Onam.--The great festival of Malabar, kept by everyone, high
and low, with rejoicing. It is the time of general good-will, of
games peculiar to the festival, and of distribution of new yellow
cloths to relations and dependants. It is supposed to commemorate
the descent of Maha Bali, or Mabali, to see his people happy.
(11) Tiruvadira.--Fast and vigil in honour of Siva, observed by
women only. In the month of Dhanu.
(12) Vishu.--The solar new year's day. A very important festival in
Malabar. It is the occasion for gifts, chiefly to superiors. The
first thing seen by a Nambutiri on this day should be something
auspicious. His fate during the year depends on whether the first
object seen is auspicious, or the reverse.