The festival of Onam portrays the rich cultural heritage of Kerala, its
golden past, rich traditions and prosperous present. It is the spirit of
Onam that attracts tourist not only across India but also from other
parts of the world. High-spirited people of Kerala celebrate Onam with
gaiety and fervor. The festival is celebrated for a period of ten days,
starting from the first day Atham and continuing till tenth and the
biggest day called Thiru Onam. It is the most famous festival of South
India. All in Kerala celebrates Onam irrespective of their social
status, religion, caste and age. According to legends it celebrates the
return of King Mahabali, the kind demon king who once ruled the land.
Intricate floral carpets called Pookalam mark the first day of the
festival. The biggest and the most happening day in the carnival of Onam
is Thiruvonam. There are lots of activities like sports and cultural
events that take place all over the state on Onam. Number of sports and
games events are also organized on the day. These are collectively
called Onakalikal. Some of them are rigorous sports like
Talappanthukali, Kutukutu and combats like Kayyankali and Attakalam.
The festival is ten-day long and falls in the month of Chingam
(according to the Malayalam calendar) and is celebrated with much pomp
and gaiety. Onam is also a harvest festival. It is celebrated at a time
when everything appears so nice and good. The best part of the festival
is it's secular flavor as people from all religious background takes
part in it. It is more like a community festival. Onam reflects the
faith of the people of Kerala; their belief in the legendary past,
religion and power of worship. It shows the high spirit of the people
who go out of the way to celebrate the festival in the prescribed manner
and a grand fashion.
People decorate their homes with fresh flower mats known as 'Pookalam'
to welcome the King Mahabali. They wear new dresses; visit the temples
to offer their prayers to the Gods and performing traditional dances
such as Thiruvathirakali and Thumbi Tullal. One of the most exciting
facets of Onam is the unfolding of its rich and well-established culture
and tradition. We see not just glimpses but a whole gamut of it in the
ten-day-long carnival. The rich cultural heritage is portrayed
beautifully in these ten days. Onam is the true picture of the passion
of the people of Kerala.
