Onam is the most important festival in Kerala. It is celebrated by Malayalis all over the world with great pomp and gaiety. It is a rice harvest festival and falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam. It marks the homecoming of the legendary king, Maveli or Mahabali.
According to the legend, Kerala enjoyed a golden era during the reign of Mahabali, an asura. His subjects were happy and prosperous. The gods became jealous of Mahabali’s popularity and sent Vamanan to trick Mahabali into giving up his whole kingdom. They sent Vamana to earth in the form of a dwarf Brahmin who crushed Mahabali to patala. Vamana asked Mahabali for three feet of land as his wish from the generous Mahabali. Since denying gifts to Brahmin is considered a sacrilege, Mahabali agreed to fulfill Vamana’s wish. In the first two feet Vamana measured the entirety of universe, leaving no place for his third foot. Mahabali offered his own head to place his third feet to fulfil the wish. However, in recognition of his good deeds, Mahabali was alloweqd to return every year to visit his subjects. It is this visit that is celebrated as Onam every year.
Onam celebrations start on Atham, ten days before Onam. The festival marks the start of Malayalam new year. Schools are closed and children enjoy the Onam vacation with a variety of activities. They roam the countryside to pick flowers to create beautiful floral designs in the courtyards. Houses are cleaned and decorated with flowers and traditional lamps. Shops display a variety of goods advertising Onam discounts. Eye-catching slogans attract customers to spend their Onam bonus on clothes and ornaments. Onakkodi or new clothes for Onam are anecessity and so shopkeeperts stock up on clothes to meet the demand.
Onachandas or Onam Markets are set up everywhere and people gather to buy rice, jaggery, plantains and a variety of vegetables. Salted and sweetened plantain chips are in great demand.
The last and most significant day of Onam, Thiruonam, is celebrated in a grand way. Sumptuous feasts are prepared in every household. This is called the Onasadya Rice and several vegetarian dishes like sambar, olan, kalan, avial and erussery are served on plantain leaves. Different varieties of pickles and plantain chips are also mandatory. This lunch is polished off with sweet payasam made with bananas, dal or rice.
People visit temples and offer prayers. Women take part in cultural programmes like Thiruvathira kali in which they perform dance in a circle around the lamp. Kathakali dancers in gorgeous costumes enact different legends. Caparisoned elephants are taken out in a procession in Thrissur and masked dancers go from house to house performing the Kummatikali dance. Pulikali(tiger dance) is also performed during the Onam season. This is a vigorous dance that is performed to the beat of drums by men painted like tigers in bright yellow, red and black. The swing is another integral part of the Onam tradition. Young women dressed in the traditional Kerala saree or Kasavu saree sing Onam songs as they swing.
Competitions are held for pookkalam in all the towns and there is an enthusiastic response to these events. Men dressed as Maveli grace these shows. Vallamkali, the snake boat race, another event that takes place during Onam. The graceful snake boats are rowed by about a hundred oarsmen and crowds gather to cheer them as they race to the finishing line.
Onam is popular with all the communities in Kerala. Though Hindu origin it is celebrated with great fervour by the Hindus Christians and Muslims of Kerala. This festival brings Malayalis together in a common celebration of their culture and traditions.