Kottankulangara Festival

The Kottankulangara Festival or Chamayavilakku is an annual Hindu festival in Kerala, India in which male devotees dress-up as females.

The festival takes place at the Kottankulangara Devi temple at Kollam, which is sacred to the goddess Bhagavathy. Every year, this festival is celebrated on the 10th and 11th day of the Malayalam month Meenam which falls on the 24th and 25th of the year.

On the festival day, thousand of devotees visit the temple to seek the blessings of the goddess Bhagavathy. The men dress up in the female attire of their choice. Some wear set sari, pattu sari, half sari or even dance costumes.