Onam is Kerala’s 10-day harvest festival that celebrates the return of Mahabali, the mythological king who sacrificed his life for the well-being of his people. It starts on the first day of Atham, and continues till the tenth day Thiruvonam, even though the main celebrations are centred around 1 to 2 days by modern-day Malayalees.
Unique because of the social nature of the festivities and focus on the ritual feast – the ‘sadhya’ which traditionally comprises 28 different dishes served on a plantain leaf – the ‘pookalam’ flower carpet, traditional dancing and songs that bring all Malayalees together, the culture of Kerala is showcased in full glory during Onam.
The king who returns every year
Legend has it that Kerala’s most benevolent king, Mahabali, promised to visit his erstwhile subjects on earth once every year. The 10-day festival thus begins when the king comes back to earth to see his people. Accordingly, his subjects dish out the warmest of welcomes to their favourite ruler by displaying their prosperous lives through food, flowers and fun festivities.
They start by laying a colourful carpet of fresh flowers, the ‘pookalam’, in the courtyard of their homes. The enchanting ‘kaikottikali’ clapping dance by women and the elaborate vegetarian lunch or the sadhya, are all part of the welcome.
Keralites are known for their simple yet splendid off-white and gold bordered traditional attire – worn by both men and women – and on Onam it only serves to accentuate the elegance of the festival.
Today, when Malayalees are spread all around the world, the traditions and general joie de vivre of Onam serves as a lovely reminder of the green and prosperous slice of land they hail from.
Tasty celebration on a leaf
The most awaited part of the Onam festival is the traditional sadhya – or the lavish vegetarian feast served on a fresh plantain leaf. The sumptuous meal centres around rice and over 21 vegetarian dishes, which may even go up to over 60 if you’re lucky to have some expert chefs are around! But the following are the must-serves on the plantain leaf:
Parippu curry
Moong dal/lentils cooked with grated coconut and spices with drizzled ghee
Sambar
Dal-based curry with vegetables, spices, tamarind
Pulissery
Spiced, aromatic cooked buttermilk with turmeric, vegetables and sometimes, fruits
Rasam
Spiced, seasoned, tamarind, pepper and chilli-based broth
Olan
Curry with white gourds, yellow pumpkin, coconut milk and coconut oil
Kaalan
Plantain, tuber or yam-based spicy-sour curry with yoghurt and coconut
Pachadi
Mildly spiced, a yoghurt-based dish made with vegetables or fruits for a cooling effort
Kichadi
Curd and cucumber dish served raw or cooked
Avial
Mixed vegetables in thick, seasoned coconut paste
Thoran
Sauteed vegetables with grated coconut
Paapad
Thin, fried crisps made of dough
Injipuli
Tradition pickle paste with hot, sour and sweet elements to aid digestion
Erissery or Koottukari
Vegetables, black chenna and coconut
Sarkara varati
Banana chips coated with jaggery, ginger and cardamom powder
Achaar
Spicy pickles of mango or lime
Paal Payasam
Kheer made of rice and milk
Semiya Payasam
Kheer of vermicelli and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, cashew nuts
Parippu payasam
Thick kheer of fried dal and jaggery and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, cashew nuts, and fried coconut bits
What else happens during Onam?
Don’t be fooled into thinking Malayalees are all about just eating food and lazy dancing celebrations.
If you ever get the chance to visit Kerala during the Onam week, prepare to have your mind blown by the sheer scale of festivities. Elaborate feasts are served at homes, restaurants and cultural halls and events all around, and feverishly competitive dance and music events – besides pookalam-making contests – make for some very enjoyable festival viewing.
GRAPHIC POOKALAMS: The elaborate floral carpets are a sight to behold, embracing modernity in the form of digital- and graphic-looking designs, or even depicting the creators’ favourite movie stars or TV shows!
POOKALAM CAKES: These days, even pookalam-themed cake baking has become quite the trend in Kerala during the festival! You can just imagine the sort of colourful icing and fondant decorations that deck the cakes.
BEHOLD THE SNAKE BOATS: In and around the Kuttanad region of Kerala, covering the Alappuzha (or Aleppey) and Kottayam districts and down to Kollam (Quilon), the rice bowl of Kerala where the state’s famed backwaters also lie, the traditional snake boat races or ‘vallamkali’ are a huge highlight during the Onam month. The traditional paddled long boat races are one of the state’s major tourist attractions. Don’t miss one of the trophy races if you get the chance, to catch some frenzied racing to the tune of traditional songs and drum beats.
DANCING AND FIGHTS: Before or after the Onasadhya meal, women and children perform folk dances and songs like the kaikottikali, thumbithullal and thiruvathirakali. In rural parts of the state, you can even see the ‘pulikali’ (an entertaining act by performers painted and dressed up as feline cats like tigers and leopards), ‘kummatikali’ (performed by masked dancers), and even the ‘Ona thallu’, a free-for-all friendly mock fight where you can ‘beat up’ others with open-handed slapping or freestyle wrestling.
These fun and frolicking events are a throwback to the era when such entertainment prevailed before electronic and digital media came along. All in all, as you can see, Onam is a festival filled with all the elements that make up the good things in life!
FESTIVAL OF COMMUNAL HARMONY: A heart-warming aspect of Onam is also representative of Kerala’s unique status as a place that symbolises Indian communal and social harmony. All sections of people, cutting across class, caste and religious barriers, celebrate the festival. Even though it started out as a Hindu festival, it’s now more of a cultural one celebrated with equal gusto by Kerala’s sizeable Christian and Muslim populations, with Onam celebrations even held in some churches starting with the lighting of the ‘nilavilakku’ or traditional lamp.
The mutual respect and shared traditions of Keralites ensure that no one is missing out on the fabulous food, flowers, dancing and games. Happy Onam!
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