Onam

A King Returns

 In the golden days of King Mahabali, the lush green land of kerala flourished and prospered. Everyone in this southern Utopia lived in happiness.

According to mythology, the gods feared the wise and good rule of Mahabali, the Asura (demon) king, thinking that he might become too powerful. So they sought help from Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu trinity in order to curb Mahabali's power. Vishnu took the form of a Brahmin boy called Vamana and approached Mahabali, who was pleased to receive him. "It is my good fortune that you have chosen to honour me with your presence. Whatever you desire, I am here ready to fulfil the same." and Vamana smiled and said, "You need not give me anything great. It is enough if you give my that extent of land covered by three foot steps [of mine]."

True to his promise, and in spite of his guru's advice, he acceded to Vamana's  wish. Vamana, the dwarf began to grow. He grew so big that he reached the sky. Then he lifted one foot and with it he covered the whole earth. Lifting the other foot, he covered the sky. Vamana then asked where he should  stand next, since his third step would destroy the world. So Mahabali offered his head, knowing that he would die. Vamana granted him one wish, to which he replied that he would like to be allowed to return once a year to see his people. Finally with the third step, Vamana trod upon Mahabali's head, pushing him down to the underworld (Pathalam) where he went into eternal exile. However, by virtue of his wish, the gods allow him to visit Kerala every year on the day of the Sravana asterism in the month of Sravan.                     

 An ancient thanksgiving celebration

 So Onam or Thiruvonam is primarily a harvest festival, in commemoration and thanksgiving for the bounties of nature, and has been faithfully celebrated since ancient time by the Keralites. During mid-August, for ten days the verdant green land reverberates to the sounds of celebration, feasting, boating, dancing and singing to honour the return of Mahabali from the nether world to visit his people.

At that time of new beginnings, in the king's honour, houses are cleaned, lit and decorated with exotic floral displays called pookkalam; the people dress up in new clothes, and families prepare special meals and spend the holy day together.

A number of special festivities form an intergral part of the Onam celebrations including a spectacular procession of caparisoned elephants at Trichur, colourful kathakali dancers who re-enact the well-loved stories of epic heroes and virtuous women, and young girls perform the kaikotikali dance (group dance) around a brass lamp or vellaku in the evenings. A magnificent display of fireworks marks the end of the festivities.

The vallamkali or snake boat race is probably one of the main attractions of Onam and is held at several  places on the palmfringed lagoons at Alapuzha, Aranmlai and Kottayam. These thrilling contests test the strength of hundreds of ores-men in snake-shaped boats decked in colourful silk umbrellas, which with their coins and tassles, denote the affluence of the owning family, The boats speed past each other encouraged by cheering crowds and a symphony of cymbals and drums.  

Traditional Onam food

In keeping with the significance of the occasion, the food for Onam is also special, and while the people of Kerala are traditionally fish and rice eaters, the food for Onam is strictly vegetarian.

            Served on a plantain leaf, the traditional sadya or feast is a vegetarian extravaganza. Steaming red rice is accompanied by a huge selection of vegetable side dishes, including parippu (a liquid curry made with mung dal), sambhar, kootu and mango curries, puli and inji, upperi(banana chips) and yellow Kerala plantains. These are followed by a delectable array of sweets  and desserts, including ada pradaman and pal payasam To end things off, hot rasam is served over some more rice.