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Hello All,

I wish you and your family, friends, near and dear........

A very happy, serene and joyful Onam wishes (02/09/09).

Onam is the National festival of Kerala in India. It is one of the festivals celebrated across the Globe by Malayalees (referring to the people who speak Malayalam, the language of Kerala). It marks the homecoming of mythological King Mahabali/Balichakravarthi and is an annual harvest festival. Keralites celebrate Onam festival to commemorate the memory of a Great King Mahabali who would keep his promise. Mahabali fulfilled his name as the great martyr for the sake of Truth (Satya). The name "Mahabali" itself means Great Sacrifice. It is a popular festival among the cultural repertoire of Malayalees, and falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August/September as per the Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Malayalam calendar, and lasts for ten days. Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, mythologically it is linked to Malayalee – Hindu folktales; but Onam is celebrated by people of all religions.

The celebrations begin within a fortnight of the Malayalam New Year and go on for ten days. The last day called the Thiruvonam is the most important. All over the state, rituals along with new clothes, traditional cuisine, dance, and music mark this harvest festival. The ten-day celebrations of Onam start on Atham day. Earthen mounds, which look somewhat like square pyramids, representing Mahabali and Lord Vishnu are placed in the dung-plastered courtyards in front of the house and beautifully decorated with flowers, known as ‘Onapookkalam’ (Rangoli). The important part of the festival opens in some localities on Thiruvonam day and in others on the previous/penultimate day known as Uthradam. On Thiruvonam day, King Mahabali is believed to visit every Malayalee home and meet his people. Houses are cleaned and decorated with flowers and traditional lamps/lights.

The most important things about Onam are the Onakkodi, the new clothes worn on this day and Onam Sadya, a feast which is quite elaborate. The most important thing is the grand lunch on the Thiruvonam day, which is also called the Second Onam. Whatever may happen people will not miss the Grand lunch (Sadya). There is a saying in Malayalam that "Kanam Vittum Onam Unnanam" which means "We should have the Thiruvonam lunch even if we have to sell all our properties" which shows the importance of the grand lunch on the Thiruvonam day. The Vallamkali (the snake boat race) is another event that is synonymous with Onam. Well-known races include the Aranmula Boat Race and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

Onam is celebrated with a focus on different cultural aspects at different places depicting different cultural and social aspects of Kerala life. This festival is also important because of its popularity with all communities within Kerala. Although the festival of Onam originated with, and is connected to the Hindu religion, it is celebrated today with equal fervour by the Hindus, Muslims and Christians of Kerala, symbolising unity in diversity.

Many many happy returns of the day.

All the best and take care….

With thanks, regards and best wishes,
G.Srikanth.

# posted by Srikanth @ 1:41 PM