Onam isn’t just a festival – it’s Kerala’s annual love letter to home, heritage, and heart. Streets glow with flower carpets, kitchens turn into aromatic ateliers, and families converge from every corner of India and the world for a once-a-year reunion that feels timeless.
In 2025, the most auspicious day of Onam falls on Friday, 5 September. 🤩
The 10-day festivities begin with Atham and crescendo into Thiruvonam, when the legend of King Mahabali’s homecoming is remembered in song, dance, and the grand vegetarian feast called the Sadya.
Whether you’re planning your first Kerala trip or returning home for memories, this guide walks you through how Onam is celebrated, the rituals and highlights to expect, why people travel home for Onam, and how to reach Kerala via bus, so you can experience the festival like a local and make the most of every colourful moment.
What Is Onam & Why It’s Celebrated 🎊
At the heart of Onam lies the beloved legend of King Mahabali, a wise and generous ruler whose reign symbolised equality and abundance. The story says Mahabali was granted a wish to visit his people once each year – Kerala welcomes him back during Onam. This homecoming spirit explains the festival’s deep emphasis on family gatherings, community feasts, and shared joy.
Onam also aligns with the harvest and Kerala’s post-monsoon bloom, making it a season of prosperity. It’s when the state’s cultural arts – classical, folk, and devotional—take centre stage, and towns big and small host events that showcase Kerala’s identity to the world.
Onam 2025 at a Glance (Dates & Key Highlights) 📝
- Festival window: Traditionally 10 days, starting from Atham and culminating on Thiruvonam.
- Thiruvonam (main day) in 2025: Friday, 5 September 2025.
- Pulikali (Tiger Dance) in Thrissur: Typically, after Thiruvonam, Kerala Tourism’s festival calendar lists Pulikali on 8 September 2025 in Thrissur.
- Aranmula Boat Race: 9 September 2025 (Pathanamthitta).
- Nehru Trophy Boat Race (Alappuzha): Saturday, 30 August 2025 – a spectacular pre-Onam snake-boat regatta at Punnamada Lake.
Book buses to Kerala on Paytm
How is Onam Celebrated?
1. Athachamayam: The Festive Kick-off 💃
Onam opens with Athachamayam, a vibrant pageantry of music, dance, and folk performances that signals the start of the ten-day celebration. Expect processions, traditional ensembles, and community revelry that set the tone for the days ahead.
2. Pookalam: Flower Carpets that Bloom at Your Doorstep 🎨
Every morning, families and apartment communities create Pookalam, intricate floral designs at the threshold. Designs grow in complexity as the days progress, using seasonal flowers to form symmetrical, mandala-like art that welcomes Mahabali and guests alike. This is one of the most photogenic and participatory rituals – visitors are often invited to join in.
3. Onam Sadya: A 20-Plus-Dish Vegetarian Symphony 🍲
The Onam Sadya is a plant-based banquet traditionally served on a banana leaf, eaten with the right hand, and relished in a course-like rhythm. Expect classics like parippu (lentils), sambar, olan, avial, kalan, thoran, erissery, inji puli, crisp pappadam, tangy pickle, and a finale of payasam or pradhaman. Households compete playfully on who sets the most authentic spread, and many restaurants curate special Sadya seatings around Thiruvonam.
4. Pulikali in Thrissur: The Tiger Dance You Won’t Forget 💃
Pulikali (“tiger play”) is a flamboyant folk performance where artists paint themselves as tigers and hunters, dancing to powerful percussion. It’s boisterous, joyous, and distinctly Thrissur. In 2025, the festival calendar places Pulikali on 8 September at Swaraj Round – if you love street art and drumlines, don’t miss this.
5. Vallamkali: Kerala’s Iconic Boat Races 🚣♀️
Long, sinuous chundan vallams (snake boats) tearing through emerald backwaters are a quintessential Onam image. The most famous regatta is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race on 30 August 2025 at Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha – look for tickets early. There’s also the storied Aranmula Boat Race on 9 September 2025 along the Pamba River, celebrated as a ritualistic pageant rather than a competitive race.
6. Thiruvonam Day: Feasts, Family, and Temple Visits 🛕
Thiruvonam (5 September 2025) is the festival’s soul. Families don new clothes (Onakkodi), exchange gifts, visit temples – especially Thrikkakara near Kochi, strongly associated with the Mahabali legend – and sit together for the grand Sadya. Community kitchens, apartment associations, and clubs host open Sadyas that welcome travellers.
7. Dance, Drama & Community Games 🎭
Expect Thiruvathirakali or Kaikottikali (graceful group dance by women), Kummattikali, folk dramas, and traditional sports/contests. Many towns run cultural weeks: music concerts, Kathakali shows, food fairs, and handicraft exhibits, perfect for travellers to sample Kerala’s cultural range in a compact itinerary.
Why People Travel Home for Onam 🤩
Onam is Kerala’s biggest homecoming. Here’s why flights, trains, and buses are full every year:
- Cultural & Emotional Pull: The Mahabali legend casts Onam as a reunion with an ideal past – families mirror this by reuniting at the ancestral home. It’s when siblings, cousins, and friends align calendars for that one guaranteed meet-up.
- Collective Rituals Matter: Pookalam, Sadya, temple visits, and gift-giving are more meaningful when everyone’s present. Thiruvonam lunch is, for many, the year’s most important meal shared at the same banana-leaf-lined floor.
- Community Events Are Best in Person: Pulikali, boat races, and street fairs are immersive spectacles – the thrum of drums, the shimmer of oiled snake boats, the scent of off-the-stove sambar – things you must feel on the ground.
- Holiday Window: The Onam holiday calendar and long weekends create natural travel windows for those living outside Kerala to return without burning too many leave days.
Insider Tips for Experiencing Onam Like a Local ✅
- Arrive early (ideally before Thiruvonam) to see Pookalam evolve.
- Book Sadya slots at reputed restaurants or clubs if you aren’t dining with a local family – popular venues sell out fast.
- Respect dress codes at temples; modest attire is appreciated.
- Go green: Onam increasingly encourages eco-friendly practices (native flowers for Pookalam, plastic-free Sadyas, reusable tableware). Participate responsibly.
- Boat race logistics: For the Nehru Trophy, secure tickets and reach the venue early – traffic diversions are common; carry water and a hat.
How to Reach Kerala via Bus 🚍
Kerala is well-connected by state-run KSRTC and multiple private operators offering everything from non-AC seaters to premium AC sleeper and multi-axle Volvo/Scania coaches. For Onam 2025, expect high demand in the fortnight around Thiruvonam (5 Sept). Book well in advance.
Major Interstate Bus Gateways into Kerala
- From Bengaluru to Kochi/Thrissur/Calicut: One of South India’s busiest corridors with frequent overnight Volvos and AC sleepers.
- From Coimbatore to Palakkad/Thrissur/Kochi/Calicut: Short hops (4–6 hrs typical) with heavy festive-season frequency.
- From Chennai to Kochi/Alappuzha/Thiruvananthapuram: Longer hauls (12–16 hrs) but reliable night services.
- From Mangaluru to Kasaragod/Kannur/Kozhikode: Coastal runs with scenic stretches.
- From Hyderabad to Kochi/Thrissur (via Bengaluru): Limited direct coaches; many services connect via Bengaluru.
Booking & Safety Tips ✔️
- Book early: Onam demand spikes – reserve both onward and return seats together.
- Seat selection: Window seats are great for the Western Ghats vistas; sleepers are best for overnight comfort.
- Buffer time: If you’re planning to attend Nehru Trophy (30 Aug) or Pulikali (8 Sept), build in buffer hours around event timings due to diversions and crowds.
Responsible Travel During Onam
- Eco-wise choices: Prefer accommodations that support plastic-free Sadyas, composting of banana leaves, and local-flower Pookalams.
- Cultural respect: Ask before photographing performers; follow temple etiquette.
- Support local: Buy directly from artisans – kasavu textiles, bell-metal lamps, coconut-shell crafts – your rupee sustains living traditions.
Quick FAQs ❓
1) What’s the main day of Onam in 2025?
Thiruvonam is on Friday, 5 September 2025.
2. When is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race in 2025
Saturday, 30 August 2025 at Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha.
3. Why do people travel home for Onam?
Onam is Kerala’s grand homecoming – families reunite for rituals, Sadyas, and festivals, making it the state’s biggest annual gathering.
4. Can I experience Onam as a tourist?
Absolutely. Join Pookalam contests, eat Sadya at hotels, watch Pulikali in Thrissur, and catch boat races in Alappuzha or Aranmula.
Conclusion: Celebrate Onam in Kerala 🤩
Onam isn’t just a date on the calendar – it’s Kerala’s grandest cultural showcase, blending legend, food, art, and family reunion into ten unforgettable days. From the vivid Pookalams and the grand Onam Sadya to the tiger dances of Thrissur and the thundering snake boats of Alappuzha, Onam is a festival that engages every sense.
If you’re planning to be part of Onam 2025, mark the dates early, book your bus tickets in advance, and prepare for an experience that stays with you long after the banana leaves are folded. This September, let Kerala welcome you with open arms, festive flavours, and the spirit of Mahabali’s homecoming.
Book buses to Kerala on Paytm
