Malayalis’ eagerly awaited annual festival, Onam, stands out as one of the few celebrations in the world that blends mythology, veneration of nature, and cultural expressions into a captivating tapestry.
This year, the ten-day Onam season begins on August 26, bringing with it a zealously preserved tradition celebrated by Malayalis since ancient times, cutting across social and economic barriers. The festival culminates on the ‘Thiruvonam’ Day, which falls on September 5.

Onam showcases beauty, grace, charm, and inclusivity. Although at its core is a Hindu myth, Onam is a festival that blurs the boundaries of faith and social rankings.

The festival is deeply ingrained in the socio-cultural ethos of Malayalis, whether they reside in Kerala or anywhere else in the world.

Onam, which falls in the month of ‘Chingam’ in the Malayalam calendar, comes after three months of the southwest monsoon, with fresh shoots springing from the bowels of Mother Earth.

For an agricultural community, which Kerala essentially was until a not-so-distant past, the season implied the paddy harvest time, mainly for the principal crop, rice.

The Mahabali myth
Onam is associated with a legend about the Asura King Mahabali, who once ruled the region of Kerala. So ideal was his reign that the kingdom was like a paradise on earth— no trace of theft, deception or malice of any kind.

Could such a harmony be allowed to flourish in the mundane world? Of course, it made the Devas envious. They hatched plans to bring an end to the golden era. Instigated by them, Lord Vishnu transfigured into a dwarf (Vamana) and came down before Mahabali. Always keen to welcome guests, the king expressed his willingness to grant anything the visitor would request.

The dwarf asked for three steps of earth. Mahabali agreed. Ahead of taking his first step, Vamana suddenly grew in size to emerge like a titan. Thus, his one foot covered the whole of earth, the second the whole of heaven. As there was no ground left, Mahabali offered his head for the Brahmin to place his foot on a third time. The gods sent the emperor down to the netherworld, known as Patal. Resolved to his downfall, the king asked for a favour: “Can I visit my subjects once a year?” Yes, said Vishnu generously. And, that’s Onam season, the homecoming of Mahabali every year, to be welcomed by his subjects with all honours.

Floral carpet
The most enduring and colourful image of Onam is the tradition of laying out floral carpets to welcome Mahabali. It is also known as ‘Atha Pookkalam’ as it starts at homes on the’Atham Day’ of the zodiac almanack, 10 days ahead of the Thiruvonam.

These days, Onam has assumed a larger social dimension, with festivities spilling over to community cultural spaces. People create Pookkalam in schools, offices, and even tech campuses.
A visitor to the state during the Onam is greeted with the Pookalam, laid out with a variety of flowers adorning the front yard of homes. Members of the families, including little ones, give full play to their aesthetic sensibility in making the floral carpet.

With fast-paced urbanisation turning vast swaths of land into concrete jungles, the flowers for pookkalam now mostly come from neighbouring states.

Onam Sadhya, the multi-dish feast
The Onam Sadhya, a multi-dish feast served on a plantain leaf, is a mouth-watering highlight of the festival. Traditionally, the Sadhya was prepared by women at home, with men lending a helping hand to fry banana chips and fritters.

The dishes, laid out in banana leaves, are classically vegetarian. Rice, sambhar, avial, rasam, olan, erissery, pappadam, fried banana chips, and pickles make up a long list, along with savouries like sweet ‘pradhaman.’ In the Malabar region of northern Kerala, chefs enhance the menu by adding fish and meat.
These days, the full-course Sadhya, complete with even the banana leaf to serve, will be delivered to homes. Scores of restaurants and caterers make a roaring business during the season.
Onam Sadhya is available in major restaurants and star hotels during Onam in major cities in India, as well as in the Middle East, the USA, and the UK.

Women at the centre of festivities
Onam has been a time for people to engage in arts and sports. The season sees the return of many sporting traditions.

At a time when women were essentially homemakers, Onam was an occasion for them to express their artistic talent, albeit primarily before a joint family audience.

There are choreographic expressions, such as Kaikottikali, in which dancers clap their hands in unison while moving rhythmically in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Hindu mythology inspires the themes. However, an offshoot of this in Christian houses is called Margamkali, where the lyrics are largely Biblical. The Islamic tap-and-sing tradition of DuffMuttu and Arbanakali is also popular.

Sporting season for men and children
In parts of Kerala, Onam offers an occasion for men to display their physical prowess by engaging in a pastime fight called Onathallu, which has its body-fighting tactics borrowed from the martial art of Kalaripayattu. They also engage in many other rural sports.

Community cultural spaces
From home grounds, these cultural expressions have moved to community spaces. The State Government organises Onam Celebrations on a grand scale for a whole week in the state capital, district headquarters and cities and towns across the state. In suburban and rural areas, local cultural outfits take the lead in organising the festival.

Tourism Week Celebrations
The season also sees a large influx of tourists to Kerala. For hosting and taking them around the festival venues, the Tourism Department has made special arrangements.

“The week-long tourism festival organised by the government showcases the best of Kerala’s classical, folk and ethnic art forms. It provides an opportunity for hundreds of artists to perform in the capital city and centres across the state,” said Tourism Minister Shri P A Mohamed Riyas.

The Onam season also sees a lot of tourist footfall in Kerala, where they can have a hands-on feel of the eclectic culture of the people, the Minister added.

This year, the week-long Tourism Week Celebrations, organised by the Tourism Department, will be inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan at Thiruvananthapuram on September 3. The celebrations, dominated by cultural programmes, illumination of main thoroughfares and landmark buildings, will conclude with a grand colourful pageantry on September 9. 

Boat races
Onam is also the season of boat races. Kerala has a string of sprawling backwaters. Travancore, especially the rice-bowl of low-lying Kuttanad, has been a hub for boat races. The prime attraction is the chundanvallam: snake-boats with as much as 140 feet of length and accommodating 120 paddlers. There are smaller varieties of boats, enabling women to contest as well.

Ironic twist
Although Onam is a festival that welcomes the return of Mahabali, in some regions, the celebrations also take on an ironic twist. For many, it is also an occasion to worship Maha Vishnu, who transformed as Vamana to banish Mahabali to the nether world.

As part of this tradition, artisans create tapering clay cubes and place floral offerings at their base. These are called Thrikkakarayappan or Onathappan. Lord Vishnu is said to have ended the reign of Mahabali, symbolising this significant event. However, this in no way dampens the festive spirit, whose focus is the visit of Mababali.

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