Wearing traditional clothes, preparing sumptuous feasts and laying colourful floral carpets in the courtyards, Keralites celebrated Onam, on August 29 with pomp and gaiety.
On the occasion of “Thiru Onam”, the most auspicious day of the 10-day-long festival, people visited temples in large numbers, cutting across villages and towns in the morning.
Children and youngsters decorated their houses with colourful “pookkalam” (floral carpets) in various designs and colours. In villages, people put up high swings, called ‘oonjal’ in local parlance, in the courtyards of their homes as part of festivities. While elders gifted “onakkodi” (new clothes) to other members of the family, women prepared “sadya”, the sumptuous feast comprising various traditional vegetarian dishes, pickles and delicious dessert ‘payasam’.
According to folklore, Onam is a festival connected with the return of the mythical demon king Mahabali under whose reign everyone lived in happiness and equality. Legend has it that envious of his popularity, the Devas (Gods) sought the help of Lord Vishnu to get him banished into the netherworld but before going down, Mahabali secured a boon from Vishnu to visit his subjects every year on Thiruvonam Day.
Let’s take a look at how Malayalis celebrate the harvest festival, that started with the Atham celebrations on August 20.
