Lakshadweep, the exotic island destination along the coast of Kerala, means “a hundred thousand islands” in the native language Malayalam. 36 small islands join hands to form the panel of Lakshadweep Island known for its divine beauty. A large acre spread with a wide variety of flora and fauna accompanied by sun-kissed beaches and exotic blue sea underneath an open starry sky. Although this tourist destination is itself an astonishing place, the exclusive festivals celebrated here are another side of the amazing story of this place. We made a list of Lakshadweep main festivals so you know when you can expect some extravagant celebration in this exotic destination
Yes Lakshadweep does sound like one of that fairy tale late night hangouts we all dream about but this island packs more heat than just scenic beauty. Lakshadweep attracts a mass number of tourists but even under such peer pressure, the natives here are strictly bound to their traditional roots. Supporting a majority of Muslim population these islands celebrates their festivals with pomp and grandeur.
Islanders Main Festivals:
Eid-Ul-Fitr:
One of the main festivals celebrated here is Eid-ul-fitr. With the advent of the new moon and end of Ramadan, Eid-ul-fitr caters mostly to the natives backed by Muslim religion although it is a free festival for all to enroll. After a die-hard month of fasting during the Ramadan, id-ul-fitr marks the advent of local cuisine flooding in the market with all hungry eyes awaiting the delicious plate to be passed onto. The day starts with some heavy praying in the mosque followed by greetings and exchange of various dishes and presents as a symbol of affection amongst loved ones.
See More: Important Festivals Of Andhra Pradesh
Eid-Ul-Zuha / Bakri-Id:
Next in line comes the Eid-ul-zuha, or the bakri –Eid. Showing gratitude and worship to the Islamic prophet Ibrahim for his self-less act of sacrifice for his divine lord. As the name suggests, it requires slaughter of a bakri or a goat as a part of this religious routine. Later the meat id distributed amongst the devotees or followers gathered which is considered pious and pure. It all starts by offering prayer by gathering at the mosque and then the slaughter follows. This festival also brings about an end to the journey to Mecca which is a holy pilgrimage in the Islamic tradition.
MiladUlNabi:
Another of the important festival widely celebrated here is the MiladulNabi. In 571 AD, Prophet Muhammad was born and this festival revolves around this very matter. As a tribute to his birth this festival immortalizes Muhammad, the great prophet and is accordingly celebrated with abundant exuberant life. The celebration engulfs around a series of lip-smacking finger-licking good dishes and while the women folk are busy with the cooking and the decorations, various meetings and associations are formed on various places where the eminent persons deliver sermons, preaching and philosophies of the great prophet and disseminate them among the crowd while paying homage to him and monumentalizing his precious words.
See More: Festivals In New Delhi
Muharram:
Then there is Muharram. Being backed by a significant amount of Islamic population, Muharram is celebrated in a grand way. Tale goes that the grandson to the great prophet, Hazrat Imam Hussein and his family was mercilessly slaughtered in Karbala in Iraq. The core reason for the celebration engulfs around this tragedy but even though it is initially a sad festival, devotees and followers make a good example of it n and standing tall in the face of such agony and tragedy, Muharram is celebrated with a body full of zeal and a mind full of excitement as people crowd around certain melas with a fun musical evening and some fair trade shopping. On the other part people clad themselves in black and join hands in a procession to pay respectful homage to this sad story with sobs and cries along the procession expressing their grief on such a horrendous matter.
See More: Jammu Kashmir Festivals
This is paradise. From lush beaches with serene sunsets, to an amazing culture filled with yummy food and a relaxed lifestyle. From stretched lush green thick forestry to the clear airy sandy beaches, to the exquisite range of floral wonders till the strong native traditional roots, don’t forget to visit Lakshadweep sometime within this festivals, and a new whole age-old native tradition, a newer side to the otherwise tourist attraction can be seen.
Since the place has a majority of muslim population, the festivals that are celebrated here also are according to the Islamic culture. The way people celebrate their festivals here amidst the grace of nature and god is as astonishing as the exclusive beauty of the place itself! The next time you visit this place, check the calendar to check for festivals. And if you go during the festival time, you can take part in the enchanting festive fun!
Images Source: 1, 2, 3.
