Do you know why Kerala is said to be “God’s own country”? It is believed that Lord Parshuram the manifestation of Lord Vishnu threw his axe into the vast sea to develop a land where he can live with his followers peacefully. Thus, a land created by God himself the land of Kerala is blessed with bountiful resources. Onam becomes the biggest festival in Kerala which is not only a harvest festival but a festival that marks the end of Monsoon, welcomes the new year Kolla Varsham, the demon King Mahabali, and the new harvest year. Hence, the ten-day-long festival has much significance in the state of Kerala. Everyone who starts the preparations early celebrates each day with equal vim and vigor. The celebration of Onam is adorned with traditions and many traditional games and folk dances. People also convey their love by exchanging Onam gifts and sweets with their loved ones during Onam. This is a great time to visit Kerala and experience the enthusiasm, and enjoyment with everyone.
We won’t understand the significance and the traditions that follow Onam if we don’t glance at the history. The mythological story behind Onam is quite an interesting one. It is said that the demon King Mahabali, the grandson of the sage Prahalad took over the three lands of Mortal, Netherlands, and the Land of the Gods. Furious by this all the Gods went to lord Vishnu to ask for help to defeat Mahabali. Lord Vishnu denied saying that King Mahabali was a just and good King and his devotee hence, he would not interfere in this matter. But right after his victory over the three worlds Mahabali performed a ritual and promised he would grant anyone any request and Lord Vishnu tried to test his devotion. He disguised himself as a dwarf boy Vamana and went to Mahabali and asked him to give him the land that he could cover in his three steps. Mahabali agreed to his request, and Vamana grew to be a giant and covered the mortal world in his first step. The Land of Gods and the Netherlands in the second before taking the last and the final step King Mahabali offered his head. Delighted by his devotion Lord Vishnu granted him a chance to come and visit his kingdom every year on the day of Onam. Hence, the people of Kerala deep cleanse their houses and make Pookalam designs with flowers on the entrance to welcome King Mahabali.
The celebration of welcoming King Mahabali, and the new harvest year starts early and the ten days hold significance to different aspects. Each day is marked with distinct activities and rituals and a preparation day for the final day. The tenth day is called Onam or Thiruvonam. From the very beginning of the ten-day celebrations, families start making Pookalam and add fresh flowers to the design each day until it becomes an intricate design. On the tenth day, families apply rice flour batter on the entrance as a tradition to welcome everyone. People and relatives from all over the place pay a visit to their loved ones on this day. There is another aspect of Onam and that is the food they make. Special and traditional dishes are made and the meals are served on banana leaves. The day is also celebrated with Onnakalikal which is the collection of all the traditional games performed on this day. The game also includes traditional folk dances wearing colorful masks performed by men as well as women.
Among all the games the most significant and famous game is the Vallam Kali the snake boat race. This boat race is a game of cultural significance and the people participating in it and winning it are rewarded well. There are many combat games observed as well Kayyankalli, Athakalam, as well as games of archery Ambeyyal. These traditional games keep the spirit of the festivities alive. The end of the day is lit by fireworks and many more amusing and exciting things.
It is a wonderful time to visit Kerala as you get to see Kerala in all its vibrant hue. But if you are unable to make it home this time, or maybe you have a friend in Kerala who you wish to visit but can’t in that case what you can do is send them Onam gifts to India from any corner of the world and make them feel special and cared for. It is the festivities and traditions that bring us together and we must not leave any chance to celebrate festivals and send our love to our dear ones.
