ONAM | THIRU ONAM

ONAM | THIRU ONAM

Onam is the most decorated festival which is celebrated in southern Indian state called Kerala also known as gods own country. The most peculiarity of Onam festival is that, this festival is celebrated by all kinds of people in Kerala despite of their religion. It is a harvest festival. The most beautiful part of Onam is the Pookalam. This is a closed design which is decorated with different varities of flowers.

Various customs included in onam are pookalam, onam sadhya,new dresses,oozhal,puli kali,vallam kali,thiruvathira kali.

WHEN IS ONAM?

25 ^th August 2018

Onam is celebrated on ‘tiruvonam’ day in ‘chingam’ month in Malayalam calendar. It comes august –September month in Georgian calendar.

ONAM HISTORY | STORY BEHIND ONAM

Mahabali Legend

According to hindu mythology, Mahabali was the grandson of Prahlada who is a devotee of lord Vishnu. Mahabali ruled the asura world and he was such an efficient ruler who brought the asura world to most prosperity which became even more beauty and wealthy than the heaven. Lord Indra who is the ruler of heaven got jealousy of the wealth and prosperity of the asura loka. He ploted against mahabali and he convinced lord Vishnu that mahabali must be destroyed. Lord Vishnu disguised as the form of a dwarf and he begged for the land which fits three times the size of his foot. The generous mahabali granded his wish . Suddenly vamana grew bigger and he covered all mahabali kingdom with just two foot size . Mahabali shows his head for the third one. Vamana then pushed him to pathala – the hell. Vamana was pleased by the generosity of mahabali and he granded his desire to visit his kingdom once in a year. It is believedthat  Mahabali visits his land every year in ‘thiruvonam’ day of ‘chinga’ month.

Parashurama legend

Another legend behind Onam relates to Parashurama, an incarnation of lord Vishnu who is recognized in Hindu mythology to have founded the Western Ghats.It is believed that after killing the king and his warriors who have taken away the calf of parashurmas cow without his permission, parashurama  threw his axe, and wherever it fell the sea retreated, creating the land of Kerala and other coastal western parts of Indian subcontinent.

Onam is believed by many Malayalees to be the occassion when Parasurama visits Kerala. It is held to be the time when Parasurama recovered Kerala from the sea.

WHAT DO PEOPLE DO ON ONAM?

1.     People put pokkalam in their home and localities

2.     Wear new dresses on that day

3.     Take part in different sports

4.     Prepare sadya with harvested vegetables.

5.  Thiruvathira kali