ONAM is a harvest festival of Kerala and the entire Keralaits are celebrating the same every year in between August-September period. Onam is basically falls on 22nd Nakshatra Thiruvonam in the Chingam month of Malayalam Calender.
Onam festival is a cultural festival of Kerala people and the same is also an official state festival of Kerala. This festival is widely celebrates in Kerala, Malayali diaphora based in different part of India and across the world.
Malayali community believes that the MAHABALI was a King of Kerala. While he was ruling the state, the entire state has witnessed rapid growth and development and he has given best treatment for the entire people of Kerala. That is the main reason the Onam festival is being celebrated by all malayalis irrespective of the cast, religion and gender to commemorate the King Mahabali.
The Keralaits believes that his spirit visits every year across Kerala during the Onam Festival period to verify the welfare of the people as well the quantity of the rice and other agricultural items they have harvested through their hard work.
In Kerala, the Rice Harvest season starts from August to September month (which means on or before Onam Festival period) and the maximum rice are cultivating from Onattukara, Kuttanadu, Upper Kuttanadu and Palakkad.
HISTORY OF MAHABALI:–
The history says that a Demon KING MAHABALI ruled in Kerala and he decided to conduct a Mahayajna. His decision to conduct a Mahayajna has shaken the entire God community and they have approached Lord Vishnu to find a way to break the Mahayajna to avoid Mahabali to occupy Indra’s throne just after the completion of Mahayajna.
To save the entire God Community, Vishnu took “VAMANA” Avatar, entered Mahayajna Yajnashala’s premises and trapped Mahabali with a demand of 3 feet Land to be measured with his feet which Mahabali agreed.
Upon getting the permission from Mahabali, suddenly Vamana grew in a giant manner and measured the entire Heavens with one foot, the entire Universe with another foot and leaving no space for Mahabali to offer with the third feet. To fulfil his commitment and to show Mahabali’s devotion, he offered his head as a third space and Vishnu granted him boon to become next Indra (thus Indra-in-Waiting) and given permission to visit in Kerala once in a year.
ONA POOKKALAM
During the 10 days Onam Festival period, ONA POOKKALAM competitions are widely taking place in different part of Kerala and different part of the world.
Every day people are using fresh flowers to make the POOKALAM designs. They are making the same either inside the house or in front of the house and this activity continues till the day of Thiruvonam.
THIRUVONA SADYA:-
A grand vegetable meals are prepared and served in a Banana Leaves on the occasion of Thiruvonam. Generally people makes minimum four to five vegetable dishes. But many are preparing more than ten dishes depend upon their capacity and choice. Some hotels are preparing and providing about 30 different vegetable dishes to their customers to enable them to do a good business during the Thiruvonam day.
ONAKALI:-
Just after making ONA POOKALAM, Women groups in different part of Kerala performs Thiruvadirakali. Apart from the same, many are performing varieties of dances such as Folk Dances, Kaikottikali (Clap Dance) and Thumbi Thullal, etc.
VALLAMKALI (SNAKE BOAT RACE):-
“Vallamkali” or “Snake Boat Race” is one of the major attractions during the Onam Festival period. Each decorated Snake Boat carrying hundreds of highly trained boatmen are competing each other for winning the Boat Race Trophy. Hundred thousands of people from India and across the world are visiting to the Boat Race venue every year to witness the same.