Onam: The Festival of King Mahabali, Harvest Joy, and Cultural Unity

Introduction: What is the Onam Festival?

Welcome to the colorful celebration of Onam! Have you ever wondered why Onam is celebrated and why people in Kerala, a beautiful state in India, celebrate Onam with so much joy? Well, let’s find out!

Onam is a special festival that brings smiles and festivities. It’s like a giant harvest party that marks the end of the monsoon season. People celebrate to welcome the mythical King Mahabali, who is believed to visit Kerala during Onam. The festival is packed with fun events like flower decorations, traditional dances, and delicious feasts. It’s a time when families come together, and everyone enjoys the vibrant culture of Kerala.

People in God’s own country, Kerala, widely celebrate Onam, a festival of rain-flowers. But do you know, why is Onam celebrated? It marks the symbol of happiness and excitement in every section of society. It is a 10-day-long festival that celebrates brotherhood and cultural bonding, making people understand the significance of unity from all walks of life together. People celebrate the Onam festival under the light of various mythology and agricultural practices. With great enthusiasm and religious sentiments, people celebrate the Onam festival right from Atham in the month of Chingam (August / September) as per the local calendar.

So, if you’re curious about the story behind Onam and why it’s such a big deal in Kerala, join us on this journey to unravel the magic of this joyous festival!

History of Onam Festival

Onam is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in Kerala, India, to honor the homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali. The festival marks the end of the monsoon season and typically lasts for 10 days, with festivities including elaborate feasts (Onam Sadya), boat races, floral decorations (Pookalam), and traditional dances. It has roots in Hindu mythology, symbolizing prosperity, happiness, and the triumph of good over evil. Would you like to delve deeper into its cultural significance?

Significance of Onam Festival

The significance of Onam lies in its celebration of King Mahabali’s return to Kerala, symbolizing the values of justice, prosperity, and harmony. Rooted in Hindu mythology, it marks a time of abundance and community togetherness. The festival also celebrates Kerala’s agricultural heritage, coinciding with the harvest season. Onam fosters unity among people of all religions, encouraging peace, cultural pride, and gratitude for nature’s bounty. It serves as a reminder of the golden age of Mahabali’s rule, when equality and prosperity prevailed.

Kerala: The Land of Onam

People in Kerala consider Onam a major Hindu festival. Onam history is rich. Hence, people celebrate Onam beyond religious, caste, creed, or community beliefs. Other Basic Ecclesial communities in Trivandrum also celebrate Onam.

People also refer to Onam as a festival of harvest. It marks the significance of a good harvest. People show gratitude to the land for rendering a good harvest. They believe that by the end of Onam, nature regenerates, flowers shoot up, and trees bloom again. People observe this day as a cultural practice where every section of society comes together and prays to God for a happy and fruitful year. They celebrate the Onam festival with great enthusiasm.

Evolution of the Word Onam

The meaning of Onam has evolved from the Sanskrit word “sharavam.” This word is related to the constellation of stars or nakshatras. Shravanam is one of the 27 constellations. South Indians use the word Thiru for anything related to the Lord Vishnu. They believe Thiruvonam is the Nakshatra/constellation of Lord Vishnu – as per Onam’s story – who sent King Mahabali to the Patal Lok with his foot. People celebrate the festival to commemorate the homecoming of Mahabali, calling it Thiru Onam or Thiruvonam, as well as Sravanmahotsav or Sravana Utsavam.

Onam’s meaning is comprehensive to its celebrations. Commemorated as the agricultural significance of Kerala, Onam celebrates the time of big harvest. The farming activities begin in Medam (April-May), and the harvest season is Chingam (August-September), celebrated as Onam festival. Thus, people know it as ‘Onakoythu’ or ‘Chingakoythu.’ However, if it extends until the month of Kanni, it is also known as ‘Kannikoythu.’ People celebrate this day as it marks the hard work and efforts of the farmers and the prosperous land of Kerala.

The Legendary Onam Story

People celebrate Onam festival annually to mark the homecoming of King Mahabali, who visits his people from Patal Lok. Though the Onam background treasures various riddles and contradictions, the legendary story of the return of the benevolent Asura king Mahabali shines through.

During Mahabali’s reign, people treated everyone equally. Though he was a demon king, he was a just and fair ruler, and the kingdom was peaceful and prosperous.

He was believed to be a powerful ruler because he had conquered three worlds after defeating the Gods. As a result, God resented him. Once, the Deva king – Indra, was threatened by the deeds and glory of Mahabali. He approached Lord Vishnu to urge him to take over King Mahabali. Agreeing to Indra, Lord Vishnu transformed himself into his fifth incarnation. It was a small Brahmin boy named Vamana. He approached Mahabali.

Mahabali was performing a Yajna. So, he asked Vamana to choose anything he wanted from the kingdom. Vamana asked the king to offer him three steps of land. Mahabali readily accepted the request. With his first step, Vamana grew into the skies, covering the earth. In his second step, he grew into the heavens, and finally, when no place left, Mahabali decided to give his head – to fulfil the promise for his third step.

With this, Vamana sent him to Patal Lok and accepted his request to let him visit his subjects yearly. Thus, the day of his return is commemorated as Onam festival.

Onam Celebration

Now we know why Onam is celebrated. Nonetheless, Onam history is rich enough to be admired for! Onam is the main festival of Kerala because it is a festival of family reunions, celebrations and feasting. It is also filled with traditional customs, dance, music and games. So, let us see what events take place during this splendid festival.

Vallamkali

People popularly know Vallamkali as a boat race. It is the most popular and traditional event of Onam festival. People carry it out on the Pampa River. This boat race comprises the Aranmula Uthrattathi and the Nehru Trophy Boat race during the 10-day celebration. Being one of the major tourist attractions, the boat race features its peculiarity with long, narrow boats with up to 128 paddlers. This game symbolizes team effort, strength and stamina.

Pulikali

Pulikali is a folk art of Kerala. Men perform it. During the 10-day festival, the performers (men) paint their bodies like tigers. After that, they dance to the beat of drums. People typically enact Pukikali on the 4th day of Onam. It symbolizes the celebration of courage, bravery, and the essence of battle in life.

Athachamayam

People carry out Athachamayam as a grand cultural procession during Onam. It marks the beginning of the ten-day Onam festival. One can witness every form of culture of Kerala and Onam’s background in this grand procession. It is held in Tripunithura in Kerala. This grand procession marks the victory of the King of Kochi. One can glance at the caparisoned elephants, floats, musical choirs, and tonnes of folk art forms.

Kathakali

Kathakali is a traditional dance form of Kerala. Men typically perform this art form. It is a traditional dance drama that depicts the stories from Hindu mythology. The dancers tend to wear elaborate makeup and costumes.

Thiruvathirakali

Thiruvathirakali is a peculiar group dance of women in Kerala.
Small groups dance as part of religious rituals, but they also perform it separately from rituals. Women typically perform this art form on Onam and Thiruvathira day. They also chant praises of Shiva Parvati in Shiva temples. These beautiful and graceful activities shine through the entire festival. Hence, this occasion brims with colors, dance, and music, making it worth relishing!

How is Onam Celebrated?

Onam is a 10-day celebration in Kerala. 4 days in Kerala are the important ones. Out of them, Thiru Onam is the most important day. The celebration commences 10 days before Thiru Onam. The public considers this festival more important than Diwali. People celebrate this splendid festival by decorating intricate flower arrangements called pookalam. People decorate their houses, shops and offices with them. Everybody buys new clothes, offers prayers at temples and exchanges gifts.

People buy Onakkodi for the festival. They also give Onakkodi to their loved ones as a gift. People also call it Onapudava, as per Malayalam, where ‘kodi’ means new and ‘pudava’ means cloth. It is as important as pookalam in Onam. Thus, it is an inevitable part of the celebration. People believe it is essential to wear new clothes, preferably Onakkodi and welcome King Mahabali as per the Onam story.

In recent times, people have also switched to Mundu and sarees. It is a traditional wear in Kerala. Kasavu Mundu and Kasavu Saree are in high demand during Onam. Artisans make these hand-woven garments with golden brocades. Elderly gifts ‘chittada’ (small dresses) – a small ‘mundu’ to infants and children.

Sadya, featuring 26 dishes spread across a traditional thali (banana leaf), is another attraction of Onam. Sadya is a traditional feast of Kerala. Before serving Sadya, people sit cross-legged on the floor. Typically, Sadya comprises 2-3 dozen dishes. In a specific order, every dish has a designated place on the banana leaf. For example, pickles are placed in the top left corner, and bananas in the bottom left corner of theAfter their feast, people fold their banana leaves to express their satisfaction.

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Onam vs. Other Kerala Festivals

Kerala retains a rich heritage of culture, spirituality and ethnicity. However, Kerala has a new level of ardor and grandeur during festivals. Filled with splendor and joy,  Onam is the main festival of Kerala. In addition to Onam, other festivals are worth visiting indeed. Some of the other famous festivals of Kerala are;

• Thrissur Pooram Festival: This festival signifies the various hues of the culture in Kerala. It is a festival in Kerala where 12 temples group together and celebrate this eight-day festival. People hoist flags, do fireworks, decorate elephants and conduct parades with music and more in this 8-day celebration.
• During the Attukul Pongala Festival, people worship Attukul Devi for 10 days.
• It is one of the popular temple festivals of Kerala. You can witness a massive gathering if you happen to visit there.
• Vishu Festival: This festival marks the significance of wealth. In the morning, the holy ritual takes place, where worshipers place metal mirrors, rice, yellow flowers, betel leaves, fruits, vegetables, holy books, etc., in the worship arena. People visit the temple and indulge in festivities and fireworks at night.
• Makaravilakku at Sabarimala Festival: This festival is a 7-day festival in Sabarimala. The temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa or Hari Hara Putra, is known for uniting the devotees of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.
• Theyyam Festival: It is a form of worship in Kerala. Popular in the North Malabar, Kudagu, and Kolathunadu regions, the Theyyam festival is a cultural dance with 400 types. The festival marks the ethnicity, culture and flow of Kerala for ages.

Conclusion:

Onam has great religious and cultural significance. Joy and gratitude fill the Onam festival. People celebrate Onam with great enthusiasm and show. They believe in King Mahabali’s arrival and thank God for retaining the prosperous land of God’s own country – Kerala. Onam witnesses everything from family reunions to the joy and laughter of people spending quality time with their friends and families. People participate in dance competitions, music competitions and boat races to relish this festival to the fullest. They also do charity and give donations so everyone can celebrate Onam with happiness and love.

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