Malayalis across the globe celebrate the Onam festival with great enthusiasm and fervour, marking the home-coming of the mythical King Mahabali.
Onam is considered to be a harvest festival as it is a reminiscent of Kerala’s agrarian past. Onam falls during the month of Chingam (August-September), as per the Malayalam calendar. The celebrations are held across Kerala with great zeal and jubilance to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam to see his people happy.
As per mythology, Mahabali was the grandson of Prahlada (son of Hiranyakashyapa who was slain by Vishnu in his Narasimha Avatar). Despite being an Asura, Prahlada had great faith in Lord Vishnu. Mahabali had become a devotee of Lord Vishnu as a child due to his grandfather Prahlada. The popularity of Kerala’s rich culture during the carnival made Onam the National Festival of Kerala in 1961.
The festival begins with celebrating the appearance of ‘Vamana avatar’ of Lord Vishnu, King Mahabali as he comes on his annual visit from Patala (the underworld). Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham). It a moment to reincarnate a past of prosperity for all the Keralites across the globe and the best of Kerala dances can be witnessed during the grand carnival.
Onam in Kerala is celebrated with most number of cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Onathappan, Tug of War, Thumbi Thullal, Kummati kali, Onathallu, Onavillu, Kazhchakkula, Onapottan, Atthachamayam etc. In Thrissur, festivities include a procession consisting of caparisoned elephants surrounded by Kummatikali dancers.
Onam is a festival that shows the folk culture of Kerala, depicting its rich dance form. The masked dancers go from house to house performing the colourful Kummattikali. Thiruvathirakali is a women’s dance performed in a circle around a lamp, and is given special importance during Onam. Kummattikali is a famous and colourful-mask dance.
The 10-day festival begins with the royal parade, popularly known as Atthachamayam, in Kochi. With utmost devotion, people make designs using flowers of different kinds known as ‘Pookalam’. According to stories, the pookalam depicts the story of vamana stomping on the head of king Mahabali. On Thiruvonam day, Asura King Mahabali is believed to visit every Malayali home and meet his people.
Though the festival is celebrated with great pomp, what is exciting about it is the grand feast called Onasadya. Onasadya is a nine course meal consisting of 11 to 13 essential dishes. These dishes are served on banana leaves on Thiruvonam day. Exotic Kaikottikali dance, intricately decorated dresses and sarees and suits, delicious Onasadya are some of the most remarkable features of the harvest festival.
The floral carpet is popularly known as ‘Onapookkalam’, which is termed as Rangoli in other parts of India. Onapookkalam is made out of several varieties of flowers of differing tints pinched up into little pieces to serve the decorator’s purpose. It is considered a work of art accomplished with a delicate touch and the art of blending that adds glory to the festivity. Traditionally, Atthapookalams (pookalam made on the Atham day) included flowers endemic to Kerala and the Dashapushpam (10-flowers), but these days, all varieties of flowers are used.
Famous Keralite food is being prepared and the house is filled with aromas of delicacies. The feast comprises of banana chips, Sharkaraveratti (Fried pieces of banana coated with jaggery), Pappadam and types of vegetable curries such as Thoran, Sambhar ,Rasam, Puliseri, Moru (Curd with water), two different types of buttermilk, coconut chutney. With the sumptuous meal, follows mouth-watering dessert. A series of dessert called Payasam (a sweet dish made of milk, sugar, jaggery and other traditional Indian savories) eaten either straight or mixed with a ripe small plantain.
For women
Women dress up in traditional sarees and dresses while men dress up in shirts and ‘mundu’ (the traditional dhoti of the Keralites). With a festival so exciting and full of enthusiasm, the attires need to be amazing. Sometimes even a bright silk saree works wonders. The basic colour that is seen in the attires is usually orange and cream yellow with a tint of red. Celebrations are held at homes where different types of dishes are being prepared and served on a banana leaf.
With the amazing attires, comes amazing jewellery. Jewellery redefines the beauty of any attire. With the festive season catching fever, some of the intricately designed jewelry with traditional outfit adds to the beauty of the occasion. People take to traditional dressing on Thiruvonam, which is said to be the last day of the festive celebration to send the mythical king Mahabali, happily.
For men
While females have many options, men could opt for a shirt or kurti with a mundu (a traditional dhoti of the Keralites). They usually go for cream mundu with a golden border. The mundu is basically kept simple with some embroidered kurta or a shirt. Post onam celebrations are also being held following Thiruvonam and are termed as Third and Fourth Onam. The third Onam is called as Avittam and it marks the preparations for King Mahabali’s return ascension to heavens.
It is simply enthralling to witness the richness of Kerala’s folk culture. The rich culture of the state comes out in its best form during the ten day long festival. The days are termed as Atham, Chithira, Chodhi, Vishakam, Anizham, Thriketa, Moolam, Pooradam, Uthradam and Thiruvonam. The first day is called Atham and tenth day is termed as Thiruvonam. These two days are considered to be the most important of all. The dynamic festival comprises of feasts, flowers, folk songs, elegant dances and energetic games. The last day is considered to be very auspicious being birthdays of several deities representing Vishnu.
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