Vaikathashtami Festival - Kerala - India

     Vaikathashtami Festival is a very popular festival of Kerala which takes place during the month of November or December. This festival is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva in the form of Shivalinga. The Vaikathashtami Festivalis observed at Vaikom Mahadeva Temple. This temple is one of the oldest and the most popular temples of the country.

• The term Vaikathashtami includes Asthami and that means the 8th day of the Malayalam month Vrischikam.

• The Vaikom Mahadeva Temple is situated 40kms away from Kottayam which is a very important pilgrim spot in South India.

• The architecture of the temple is very artistic with four huge corridors called Mandapams. The Prakarams of the temple or the halls are very spacious which are constructed with slabs of black stone.

• The temple is standing for about 8 acres of land and is surrounded by high walls and four huge towers. The Shivalinga in the temple is about 5m n height.

Celebrations

• During the Vaikathashtami Festival the temple remains crowded with large crowds of devotees and also tourists. On the Asthami night a symbolic idol of Lord Shiva called Thidampu is taken out in procession. This Thidampu is also called as Vaikom Mahadeva.

• Lingabhishekam or the elongated bath of Shivalinga is a very sacred ritual which is very famous among the people and is visited by a number of devotees.

• While the deity is taken out for procession the other deities from the nearby temple also join the procession.

• During this festival a classical and cultural fair also takes place which is attended by lot of people. In the fair nigh long classical music and dance performances take place. Beside, Kathakali performances also take place during this festival.