Dec 19,2015
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What to know about a February Vacation in South India

Indus Holidays

Explorer Team

Photo by: Kerala Tourism

When should you plan a visit to South India? Is February a good month for a Kerala vacation? We’ll explore all the important factors – weather, special events, hotel prices and crowds. This should help you decide if February suits your needs and desires for a South India vacation.

What is the weather like in South India in February?

February is part of the extended winter season in South India. The days are bright and warm and the sun is not too hot making for a cool and pleasant time. It is a great time to travel to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa. As the sun sets, the temperature falls and a light sweater may be required as it dips lower.

February is bright, cool and pleasant. So expect an awesome time climate wise

On an average, there is not much rain in February but you might get some small refreshing showers in between to so just be prepared. The below graphic will give you an idea of the weather throughout the year in Kerala

Vacation Prices & Crowds for South India in February

February is part of the extended peak season of travel to South India. There will be good crowds around with travellers from across the globe coming to witness this happening time in South India. If you have Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Goa in mind we suggest you plan at least 6 months in advance to secure bookings to your preference.

February sees good flow of travellers to South India. Rates are cheaper than the year ends but still on the higher side

As per our analysis of the cycle of Kerala resort/hotel rates, February is a relatively costlier time to visit Kerala and South India in general. But rates are certainly cheaper than the high peak rates of December and early January.

Airfare to South India during February is a tad unpredictable. That being said, we typically see good airfare for February being advertised in December and early January for domestic flights.

Are there any special events, festivals or reasons to go to South India in February?

February in South India sees a lot of activities festival wise. Local festivals like Shiva Rathri are celebrated with great vigour all around south India and especially in Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu), Aluva (Kerala) and Shrikalahasthi (Andhra Pradesh). Besides this there are a lot of event to look forward to as far as travellers are concerned.

Goa in February

Goa Carnival

This Carnival in Goa is a non-stop 4-day festival of colour, song and music. The Goa Carnival is an integral part of the Portuguese heritage of the state. The carnival epitomizes the fun-loving culture which is the characteristic of Goa.

Venue: Goa

Location: All major towns in Goa

Estimated Date: Early February (Pre-Lent)

Kerala in February

Guruvayur temple festival

The temple festival here starts with a unique elephant race (Anayottam) tradition. Guruvayur temple is one the most renouned and oldest of all temples in Kerala.Numerous cultural programmes are also organised as part of the festival.

Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple

Guruvayur, Thrissur

End February – Early March depending on local calendar

Attukal Pongala

The Pongala festival at Attukal is a Guiness record holding event for the largest single gathering of women for a religious activity (2.5 million). It is a spiritual experience which is open to all women willing to participate irrespective of religion. The offering is to cook for the goddess.

5 km radius of Attukal Devi Temple

Thiruvananthapuram

End February – Early March depending on local calendar

Uthralikkavu Pooram

This is an opportunity to see the traditional Kerala temple festival with 21 elephants in traditional attire with colourful parasols. There are day and night elephant processions and musical ensembles like Panchavadyam and Pandimelam add rhythm to the procession.

Sree Ruthira Mahakalikavu Temple

Vadakkancherry, Thrissur, Kerala

End February – Early March depending on local calendar

Chettikulangara Bharani

This unique festival is under consideration to be bestowed Intangible cultural heritage status by UNESCO. It presents an amazing visual treat with the ceremonious procession of dazzlingly decorated structures. It is a testimony to the aesthetic expertise of the local people.

Chettikulanagara Devi Temple

Mavelikkara, Alapuzha

Mid February – Early March depending on local calendar

Adoor Gajamela

This is a wonderful elephant pageant organised as part of the ten day annual temple festival. Imagine the sight of nine decorated tuskers in their ceremonial attire and throngs of crowds creating a festival mood.

Parthasarathy Temple, Adoor

Adoor, Pathanamthitta, Kerala

End January – Early February depending on local calendar

Theyyam Season in North Kerala

Theyyam, also known as Kaliyattam is a popular ritual art form of North Kerala (Malabar). The performance happens interior villages in the open grounds near temples. This art form is noted for its elaborate headgear, music, mimes and dance which has its origin in tribal culture. Over 400 theyyams are performed over the season in Malabar and some temples like Parassinikadavu Muthappan temple in Kannur has Theyyam performed daily.

Open air temple premises in interior villages

Kannur, Kasaragod (North Kerala or Malabar)

Specific dates Nov – April (Refer Theyyam Calendar)

Tamil Nadu in February

Natyanjali festival

Known as the ‘city of the Cosmic Dancer’, Chidambaram’s Nataraja temple celebrates a dancing festival. This temple has 108 poses of the Bharathanatyam classical dance carved on its eastern tower. Being a venue of such importance, this festival attracts dancers from all over india to perform as a tribute to the Dancing Shiva.

Nataraja Temple

Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu

5 Days during mid Feb – March (depending on local calendar)

Have you been to South India in February? How was your visit? If there is something that we have missed or needs updates, feel free to drop a comment. Our intention is to provide the most useful/updated resources for travel planning in this part of the world. Join the conversation with your suggestions for travellers in our comments section below.

Thinking about a vacation to South India? Get our local team to plan a memorable experience for you.

Plan My Travel

This article is part of our month-by-month analysis to help you determine the best times to visit Kerala and South India in general. Check out these links for the other months covered in this series here: January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.