Happy Onam

Today keralites at home in Kerala, elsewhere in India and abroad are celebrating Onam. It falls during the month of Chingam, the first month of the malayalam calender(solar calender, wherein the months have been named after the constellations through which the sun passes).

This festival is significant for two reasons. Firstly, legend goes that Bali granted Vamana(Vishnu in form of a dwarf - fifth of his dhashavathara) three foot lengths of land as desired by him. Vamana then enormously grew in size, covered the whole earth in one step, the whole sky with the second. For the third, Bali asked him to place it on his head. With this, Vamana places his foot on Bali's head and suppresses him to Patala(one of the fourteen worlds and one of the seven hells according to Hindu scriptures) granting him a wish that he would rule Patala and would return once every year to visit his subjects on earth. Onam is celebrated as the day when King Mahabali returns to meet his subjects. Secondly, it is also celebrated as the harvest festival in Kerala.

The specialities for Onam,that I am aware of, include a traditional elaborate feast, Sadya and a multi coloured floral decoration(with, sometimes, a lamp in the middle) on the ground called Pookkalam. Competitions are held for the best pookkalam designs. I watched one such competition on a TV news channel yesterday and I must say, they were pretty innovative and beautiful. The other activities include a vibrant elephant procession, Pulikali performers painting themselves as tigers, performances by Kathakali artists, women performing Kaikotikalli, a traditional clap dance and the very popular snake boat race called Vallamkali.

The most important part of this festival is that it is celebrated by keralites across all religions depicting communal harmony and a sense of oneness which is at a premium today and it needs to be appreciated and emulated.

Wishing everybody a Happy Onam!!!