It’s time for some celebration. Yes, the 10-day festival, Onam, began on the 25th of August and is ending on 6th September. Onam is the festival of Harvest and it’s celebrated with great fervour across God’s Own Country, Kerala. The state comes alive with music, lights and colours. The festival is celebrated in Kerala to mark the return of King Mahabali. People believe that during Onam, the King pays a visit to the people, every year from the netherworld.
This is the best time to visit Kerala and experience the southernmost state’s unique culture and traditions. Here’s a list of 5 things you must experience during Onam.
Eat Onasadya
Onam is synonymous with feast. And during this festival, savour the royal vegetarian Kerala meal, which is a real treat for your taste buds. Onam is marked by some 13 to 25 dishes known as Onam Sadya, served on a banana leaf. Dishes like olan, kaalan, kootu, thoran, puliinji, avial, pulissery, pachadi, kichadi, sambhar, rasam, rice, payasam, chips, papad and erissery are a part of this royal feast. Most restaurants across the country serve Onam meals. You can also have Onasadya at a temple to treat yourself to an authentic Onam Sadya meal.
Experience Athachamayam Festival
Athachamayam Festival kicks off Onam celebrations on a colourful note. The festival has an interesting origin. It dates back to the time of the Maharaja of Kerala, who used to march from Tripunithura to Vamanamoorthy Temple in the spiritual town of Thrikkakara, where Onam celebrations first began. In Tripunithura, you can see decorated elephants, musicians, and various traditional Kerala art forms on the streets, which is truly enchanting. The whole town gets decked up with decorations, street stalls, and floral arrangements.
Participate in Aranmula Boat Race
Boat race is a major part of Onam Celebrations in Kerala. The Aranmula Boat Race is among the oldest and the most popular snake boat races in the state. Here, the focus is not only on the competition but also on traditions. The event has a religious significance as it commemorates the installation of the idol of Lord Krishna at the nearby Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. After the religious rituals are completed, about 50 boats compete against each other to win the race.
Pulikalli Tiger Play
This ritual reflects Kerala’s unique culture and traditions. As a part of the play, hundreds of men paint their bodies with intricate detail to dress up as tigers and they dance to the beats of traditional percussion instruments. The performers and painters put a lot of effort for this competition as it takes around four hours to completely paint one person. After the festival is over, the prizes are given out to the best performers.
Make a Pookalam
During Onam, all homes in Kerala are decorated with an assortment of colourful flowers known as pookalam. People put a lot of effort to make these flower rangolis and there are even pookalam competitions that are held across Kerala during this time. The whole town gets festive with decorations, street stalls, and floral arrangements.
Book your flight tickets to God’s Own Country, Kerala, at the best prices, and celebrate Onam with your family.
