Onam Celebrations Start Today

Onam, also known as the harvest festival, is celebrated to express gratitude towards the land for providing a good harvest. It is one of the main festivals celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is celebrated by Hindus in the month of Chingam, as per the Malayalam calendar. According to the Gregorian Calendar (the calendar we follow), the festival is celebrated in the months of August and September. This year, Onam falls on August 29. 

Onam celebrations last for 10 days. During this period, people decorate their houses with flowers of different colours, making them look like rangolis. These flower arrangements are called “Pookalam”. To celebrate the festival, people also gift new clothes to family members and relatives, prepare many different vegetarian dishes and visit nearby temples. The Snake Boat Race or Vallam Kali, is a popular attraction of the Onam festival. Many types of longboats participate in the race and compete with one another. 

The celebration of Onam is associated with Hindu mythology. It is believed that people started celebrating Onam to welcome back the demon king Mahabali, from the netherworld. Mahabali was sent away to the netherworld by one of Lord Vishnu’s avatars called Vamana. Mahabali was a generous king and cared for his subjects. Before being sent away, he received a boon from Lord Vishnu which allowed him to reunite with his subjects during Onam.