Onasadya

Onasadhya is the most delicious part of the grand festival called Onam. It is considered to be the most elaborate and grand meal prepared by any civilisation or cultures in the world. It’s a feast which if enjoyed once is relished for years.

Onasadhya is prepared on the last day of Onam, called Thiruonam. People of Kerala wish to depict that they are happy and prosperous to their dear King Mahabali whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

Legend goes that Mahabali who was so attached to his people that he requested Gods to allow him to visit Kerala every year. People of Kerala wish to convey that they are enjoying the same age of prosperity as was witnessed during the reign of King Mahabali by preparing a grand Onasadhya.

Rich and the poor, everybody prepares Onasadya in a grand fashion as people of Kerala are extremely devotional and passionate when it comes to Onasadya. So much so that, it has lead to saying, ‘Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam’. Meaning – men go to the extend of selling all their possessions for one Onam Sathya.

Pookalam

Pookalam is an intricate and colourful arrangement of flowers laid on the floor. Tradition of decorating Pookalam is extremely popular in Kerala and is followed as a ritual in every household during ten-day-long Onam celebrations.

‘Pookhalam’ consists of two words, ‘poov’ meaning flower and ‘kalam’ means colour sketches on the ground. It is considered auspicious to prepare Pookalam, also known as ‘Aththa-Poo’ during the festival of Onam.

People believe the spirit of their dear King Mahabali visits Kerala at the time of Onam. Besides making several other arrangements, people, especially adolescent girls prepare elaborate Pookalams to welcome their most loved King.

Vallamkali Boat Race

Vallamkali or the Snake Boat Race is the most enchanting facet of the festival of Onam. The event is promoted as a major tourist attraction of the state of Kerala and draws a large number of domestic and international tourists. Vallamkali has been going on for good number of years and its popularity is soaring with each passing year. Much credit for the success of Snake Boat Race can be attributed to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru who was so enamoured by this colourful event that he instituted a trophy for the race.

The Legend

There is also an interesting legend behind this very electrifying event. The story goes that once about 10 kilometers up the river Pamba from Aranmulla, the head of the Katoor Mana, a Nambudiri family, offered his daily prayers and was waiting to feed a poor man to complete the ritual. After waiting for long, Brahmin closed his eyes and started praying to Lord Krishna. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a ragged boy standing before him. The Brahmin lovingly gave a bath to the boy, a new set of clothes and also a sumptuous meal.

To the utter surprise of the Brahmin, the boy vanished after having the meal. He searched for the boy and spotted him at the Aranmulla Temple but the boy disappeared again. Namboodari concluded that it was no ordinary boy, but God himself. To commemorate the event, he began to bring food to the Aranmulla temple every year during the time of Onam. And, to protect the food from the river pirates, Kovilans or snake boats used to accompany the entourage.

As the tradition gained popularity, the number of snake boats increased leading to the custom of a grand carnival called Snake Boat Race.

Elephant Procession

The spectrum of Onam gets its shade of royalty with the regal elephant ride that takes place at Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala. Decked in gold, the favourite animal of royals of India looks even more magnificent. And, we have not just one but a whole lot of them.

The Dazzling Attire

Intricate designs are made on big golden plates made for the elephant’s forehead. These are big enough and continue till trunk. A lot of craftsmanship goes into making innovative and exquisite designs each year. Another striking element of the elephant’s decorative is the parasol. These are long stemmed ceremonial silk and satin umbrellas laced with white metal and placed on top of the animal. A silk robe, some jewelery and body painting adds to the looks. Only the most impressive and good looking animal gets the honor of being a part of the procession and wearing the ornate caparison.

The Royal Show

The spectacular procession of pachyderms is one of the major highlights of Onam and attracts thousands of enthusiastic people. Majestic as it is, the elephants look even more handsome with the ornate caparison that it gets on this day. A darling of children, pachyderm amuses its audience by garlanding some, staring others and shaking its trunk and the big body a little along with the rhythm. The crowd goes mad with laughter with these cute little pranks of the king-sized animal. The event is inclusive of feasting, dance, music and merrymaking.