Onam is welcomed with a diverse range of activities and celebrated with great pomp and enthusiasm. Onam Festival - Cultural Celebrations, Rituals and Practices The revisit of Mahabali marks the festival of Onam. Vamana trampled Mahabali down to Pathala (hell) but pleased by his devotion offered him a boon to visit his land every year. Vamana grew and covered the land and water with one foot and the sky with another foot, now to place his third-foot Mahabali offered himself.
Mahabali, although surprised by the boy's wish, agreed to grant it. The king offered everything he could to the boy, but Vamana refused and said one must not seek more than one's needs and all he needed was three-paces. Lord Vishnu took this opportunity to test Mahabali's devotion and approached Mahabali in the avatar of a dwarf boy called Vamana.
Mahabali performed a Yajna after his victory over the Gods and had to grant anyone any request. In Vaishnavism, the Devas approached Lord Vishnu to help them in the battle against Mahabali, Vishnu refused considering Mahabali being a good ruler and his devotee. The Mahabali legend that spins the tale of OnamĪccording to Hindu Mythology, the Brahmin sage Prahlada had a grandson named Mahabali who took over the three worlds by defeating the Gods (Devas). Onam 2021 will begin on Thursday, August 12 and ends on Monday, August 23 Onam 2022 DateĢ2 September 2022 History of Onam - The Legend and the Significance Source Onam is a religious, cultural festival that's celebrated by the Malayali community around the world.įalling on the month of Chingam in the Malayalam calendar the festival overlaps with the months August-September on the Gregorian calendar. Onam is the traditional festival of Malayalees originated from the state of Kerala. Onam 2021 - The Festival of Kerala Source Whether you're a Malayali or not, the spirit of Onam is Universal. It is the time of the year when Kerala is exhilarated with trumpets, drums, elephants, boat races, dances, art, music, floral decorations, lights, colours, rituals and the delicious Onasadya without which the celebrations are incomplete.
On this day, King Mahabali is said to visit the homes of all Malayali people, who pray, give gifts, and eat the feast known as Onasadya.Onam is a Godlike festival from God's own country. The tenth and last day of the festival is called Thiruvonam. The ninth day is called Uthradom and is the day that King Mahabali is believed to return from the underworld. The eighth day, Pooradam, is when people clean the statues of King Mahabali and Vishnu in his disguise. The seventh day is called Moolam and features the start of dance performances.
The sixth day, Thriketa, is typically when schools close and preparations for the festival increase. The fifth day, called Anizham, is when a famous boat race is held. The fourth day is called Vishakam and involves competitions and the start of preparations for the feast that will take place on the final day of the festival. On the third day, Chodi, family members get each other gifts of clothing and jewelry. The second day of the festival is called Chithira and is when people clean their homes. On the first day of the festival, known as Atham, people decorate their houses with a yellow carpet made of flowers, called a pookalam (flowers are added each day after that). Onam celebrates his return.Įach day of the festival has a different name and involves different traditional activities. When Mahabali offered his head for Vishnu’s third step, Vishnu rewarded Mahabali by allowing the king to return from the underworld to visit his kingdom once every year. The generous Mahabali agreed, but Vishnu grew in size until his first and second steps covered the whole world. When Mahabali’s popularity began to threaten the gods, the god Vishnu visited him disguised as a beggar, and asked for all the land he could cover in three steps. The festival of Onam is believed to be based on the story of the benevolent demon King Mahabali, a popular ruler of Kerala.