Onam is the most important festival in Kerala. It is also known as the harvest festival.


Onam

Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala is celebrated with tremendous zeal and enthusiasm all over the state. Falls on the beginning of the Malayalam month of 'Chingam' (August - September), Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala. This is exactly the reason why Onam is celebrated in Chingam, the first month of Malayalam calendar. Legend says that Onam is celebrated to mark the home coming of mighty king Mahabali who ruled Kerala in ancient times. Ancient folklores and mythologies state that the period in which he ruled Kerala was one of the golden ages of the state. It was a period in which people led a prosperous and peaceful life and was free from all kinds of troubles. It was Vamana (re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu) who ended his reign when he pushed King Mahabali into the netherworld, mainly because Lord Indra, King of the Devas was jealous of Mahabali and feared that the mighty king would grow equivalent in power to him. However, impressed by the honesty and generosity of King Mahabali, Lord Vishnu granted his wish to visit his kingdom and his subjects once in a year. It is believed that on the tenth day of Onam (Thiruvonam), King Mahabali makes a visit to Kerala to see his subjects.

The rich cultural heritage of Kerala reaches its peak during the Onam which is celebrated for ten days. The celebrations start ten days in advance as homes are cleaned and thresholds are decorated with a flower mat (Pookkalam). Each day has its own essence and meaning with respect to the celebrations. The celebrations reach its grand form on the tenth day (Thiruvonam) when each family prepares Onasadya (Onam feast) which is generally eaten on the banana leaf. Other striking features of Onam are Vallamkali (boat race), Thiruvathira kali, Thumbi Thullal (graceful dances by women) with Kummattikali (colorful mask dance) and pulikali (folk art) adding to the zest of the celebrations. Onam is also the festival of family gatherings when all the members of a family get together to have fun and commemorate those good old days.

Onam Customs
The grand secular festival of Kerala, Onam is a ten day long festival which has numerous customs and traditions associated with it. The zest and enthusiasm imbibed in Onam is so huge it make the people of Kerala break all the barriers of caste and creed and unite. During the week-long festival, the state is decorated like a newlywed with lot of merriments going on.

Onam Celebrations in Kerala
Onam is more than a Hindu religious festival to Kerala; each and every tradition, custom and celebration associated with this grand festival shows the rich cultural heritage of Kerala. The ten day carnival is celebrated to commemorate the home coming of the legendary king, Mahabali to his land to visit his subjects and to shower blessings on them.

Onam Celebration
Onam is one of the most important and popular festival of Hindus and is celebrated with great pomp and vigor all over the south India, especially Kerala. The celebrations spanning over a period of ten days are remarkable and exhibit the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the region. The first day of the festivities is called Atham and the jubilations

Onam Legends
Onam, the harvest festival, is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm in Kerala. Falls on the Malayalam month of Chingam, Onam is celebrated for ten days when the state witness lot of celebrations and festivities including boat race, various traditional folk dance forms, Onappookkalam and special offerings in temples.

Onam Recipes
Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm by the people of Kerala. There are numerous customs, rituals and traditions for which Onam is known for. However, the most striking of them is Onasadya (Onam feast) which is eaten on a plantain leaf.

Onam Rituals
Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of Kerala. People really have fun during this time. Festivities of Onam continue for ten long days. Of all these days, most important ones are the first day, Atham and the last or tenth day, Thiru Onam. Religious and traditional people of Kerala sincerely follow all the customs and traditions set by their ancestors.

Onam Significance
Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is celebrated as a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. The best part of the festival is thae it is a secular festival so people from different communities

Ten Days of Onam
The festival of Onam is celebrated for ten days in the state of Kerala. In some regions of the state festivities are restricted to four to six days only. According, to historians and scholars the festivities have changed with the passage of time. In earlier days, Onam was celebrated for a month and much more lavishly.

When is Onam
The vibrant and colorful harvest festival of Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kolla Varsham) called Chingam. Onam falls, on the 12th day of the waxing moon in the six month of Hindu calendar called Bhadon or Bhadrapada which is usually around August or September