Kuttikkuthira of Kerala: children, chariots and festive cheer

In the villages along the backwaters of Alappuzha district in Kerala, children get together every year to make k uttikkuthira – a compact chariot – during the Aswathi temple festival . The coastal regions of Kerala raise lakhs of rupees every year for each chariot – big and small – without any state support. Around February-March, hundreds of these chariots trundle along the streets of the villages.

Children and adolescents, along with their entire coastal communities, participate in kuthirakettu (the ritualistic chariot procession) with great enthusiasm. The film featured here covers the journey of a chariot and its makers in Karthikappally village of Alappuzha district.