The harvest festival called Onam falls in the Chingam month. It is a festival unique to the state of Kerala. According to Hindu mythology, King Mahabali reigned over the earth, heaven, and the netherworld. He was a benevolent and kind-hearted King. The people were happy and prosperous during his reign.
However, the gods were displeased at the power of Mahabali. They commissioned Lord Vishnu to help them defeat Mahabali. Lord Vishnu came down to earth in his fifth avatar, called Vaman, a dwarf boy. He made King Mahabali forfeit his Kingdom but his golden heart that throbbed for his subjects blessed him with a boon.
Lord Vishnu permitted King Mahabali to visit his people and kingdom once every year. Onam celebrates the homecoming of their mythical ruler, King Mahabali and Vamana. This ten-day festival is the best time to visit and experience the culture in Kerala. The celebration reflects the culture of the people and affirms their beliefs in the mythical tale of King Mahabali.
The Onam images of pookalam or onam sadhya are flashed in the mind since they are closely associated with Onam. The Onam pookalam is a floral design similar to rangoli but made using fresh flowers.
It is created by women arranging the flowers in different patterns as men gather them. Traditionally, pookalams were confined to yellow flowers called jamanthi, marigold or chrysanthemum but now different varieties of flowers can be added to the design. The pookalam starts small in size with the dimensions and complexity of the design sinking in as the days of the festivals pass by. New layers of flowers are added to the pookalam every day until the last day of Onam.
The orange and yellow flowers of pookalam represent warmth and happiness. Pookalams are made on the east side of the entrance floor to greet Mahabali. Pookalams are often displaced in houses and public spaces along with earthen mounds called “Ma”, representing King Mahabali and Vamana.
People constantly clean their homes and indulge in shopping during the festival days. They eagerly wait for Thiruvonam, which is an important day that concludes the festival. People offer their prayers and thank the heavens for the bounty of nature. They celebrate their good harvest by cooking delicacies and sharing them with family and friends.
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The Onam 2024 date for the festival is 05 September, Thursday to September 17. On the festival's first day, Atham is highlighted by the grand procession held at Tripunithra in Kochi. This street parade displays the culture of Kerala through folk music, dance, performances etc. People from all over the state gather to watch this parade called Tripunithra Athachamayan.
Boat races called Vallamkali are famed and visited by many people across the state. It is held in Pampa River, where hundreds of men form teams and compete against each other. Swing ceremonies, traditional dances etc., take place throughout the festivities. The fourth day of the festival is also known as the Festival of Flowers, otherwise called Maha Vishnu Yajna Day. Today, people offer flowers to Lord Vishnu and decorate their homes with flowers. Furthermore, people light fireworks and participate in various cultural events.
- Use fairy lights or lights with a slightly bigger bulb to decorate the exterior of your house. Sparkling lights against the dead of night create a festive atmosphere and delights the eye.
- Adorn your houses with floral decorations. Make pookalams and use flowers to decorate the other parts of the house. Adding flowers to the balcony, doorway, across the ceilings etc, boosts the festive mood.
- Use earthen lamps or diya to decorate your houses or glam your floral pookalam. A combination of flowers and light will never disappoint you. You can place them on the steps in the evenings.
- Use candles and candle stands to spice up your table tops. You can get creative and add flower petals around it to set the mood inside your home. You can purchase or make wall door hangings to elevate your exterior decoration.
- You can also make wreaths of flowers to hang on the doors or walls. Add ornaments like bells to make it more appealing and festive.
- Use lights to decorate the interior of your house. Stick to one coloured light that matches your theme. You can arrange it across the ceilings or hang it from wall to wall.
- Add fresh green leaves and garlands to your decoration. Wrapping flowers around the pillars of your house is also a good idea for decoration.
- You can use fresh floating flowers inside your house. Fill a pot with water and add fragrant flowers like jasmine to keep the mood festive. Use traditional pieces like statues or the Kathakali mask to make your walls festive.
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When the decorations are in place, the feeling of festivity comes naturally. Whether you celebrate Onam in your native state or not, decorations are an element of the festival.
People wear their traditional outfits and participate in cultural dances like Kaikottikali etc. On the first day, people decorate their homes with small lamps called Onam Vilakku. Rituals and events held during the festival automatically create the mood for Onam.
On Thiruvonam, people feast upon Onam sadhya, a nine-course meal with thirteen different types of dishes plated on a banana leaf. It is a religious vegan meal that is also served in the temples. Families reunite and celebrate onam together.
The traditional dress code followed during Onam is a white, off-white, or cream saree with a golden border. These are called Kerala sarees and are worn by Keralite married women. Men wear a white-coloured mundu (lungi) or dhoti with golden borders. It can be paired with a shirt or kurta. Young girls wear Pattu Pavadai, or lehenga, to distinguish themselves from married women.
Devotees also create earthen mounds called “Ma” in the centre of pookalam. In different regions of Kerala, the swinging ceremony is often accompanied by sweet melodies of women singing religious songs as they push each other on a swing attached to the branch of a tree.
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Flowers are the essence of Onam that represent nature. People beautify their homes and seek blessings from Lord Vishnu and King Mahabali. It is said that on the ninth day of Uthradom, King Mahabali arrives in Kerala and visits his people to bestow blessings of good health and prosperity.
The mythical ruler of Kerala still lives in the legends. His spirit is undying and captured in the festive mood of Onam. Kerala is known as ‘God’s own country’, famous for its spice gardens. The beauty of Kerala lies in its well-preserved nature and landscape. People take pride in being Malayalis. Coconut, rice and spices are common ingredients used in their cooking.
People dedicate their time to cleaning their homes and surroundings for Thiruvonam. They make donations and distribute alms to the unfortunate. Temples are also very crowded during the festival days.
Elaborate costumes, makeup, and intricate hand gestures characterise traditional classical dance forms like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, and Koodiyattam. Another standard dance form, Pulikali or Kaduvakali, is performed during the Onam festival.
Pulikali is a folk art form from the Thrissur district of Kerala. The dancers paint their bodies like tigers; for example, men paint tigers on their bellies and cover their arms and legs with black and orange paint to closely match the tiger. They wear colourful costumes and masks that resemble tigers. They dance to the beats of traditional drums and move synchronously to create the illusion of a tiger in motion. This is one of the major attractions during the Onam festival and can be witnessed during the street parades.
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While food, dressing, shopping and rituals set the atmosphere for the ten days, the true spirit of Onam wakes only with good company from family and friends. Onam is the happy occasion that brightens up every corner on the street with laughter from the young and old alike.
The traditional cooking and rituals are taught to children, who are then expected to carry them into the future. Onam is one of the most awaited festivals in Kerala that briefly takes away the sadness from everyone’s life. It is almost impossible to stay unhappy with your surroundings brightening up.
Pilleronam (piller meaning children in Malayalam) is a day devoted to children who take up responsibilities. It corresponds with the Thiruvonam star and occurs 27 days before the real Thiruvonam. Children can experience adulthood as they are responsible for running the household for a day.
The schedule for the day depends on the children who plan the activities with the support of their parents. Parents also buy new clothes and cook a mini sadhya meal for the children. If Onam is a sun, then people are like sunflowers. Onam decoration makes the festival seem more special as it is the only time you can see so many floral decorations and traditions coming to life.
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