Today marks THIRUVONAM, popularly known as ONAM, a ten-day annual harvest festival observed with immense fervor and enthusiasm throughout Kerala.
Onam falls in the first month (Chingam) of the Malayalam Calendar. The ten day celebrations mark the start of Malayalam New Year with the first day being called Atham and conclude with Thiruvonam (which is today, August 29).
According to legends, the festival is celebrated to commemorate the homecoming of the benevolent King Mahabali or Maveli, who is believed to visit his people during this period.
It's official state festival that symbolises unity, cultural heritage, and the spirit of togetherness.
Each year, as Onam approaches, my thoughts journey back to Kerala. I had visited the state during the vibrant Onam celebrations, and that experience remains unique in my memory. The celebrations and activities I witnessed were unlike anything I had encountered before.
Throughout the ten-day celebration, a variety of dishes such as neyappan, unniyappam, kinnan, sukhiyan, idiyappam, and vattayappam are lovingly prepared and savored. The highlight is the Onam Sadya, a traditional banquet featuring over two dozen vegetarian delicacies, served without utensils on a banana leaf. This meal is an integral part of the festivities, without which the celebration remains unfinished.
The lively celebrations of the festival encompass activities like Vallamkali (snake boat race), Kathakali (classical dance), Pulikali (tiger dance), Pookkalam (floral rangoli), Thumbi Thullal (women's dance), Kummattikali (mask dance), Onathallu (martial arts), and more.
Indeed, the Onam festival, as I witnessed, is a vibrant community celebration that unites individuals regardless of their social backgrounds. It truly embodies a divine atmosphere in Kerala, God's own country fostering happiness, affection, empathy, vividness, enjoyment, and the strengthening of communal bonds.
Wishing you my heartiest Onam greetings...
--Kaushal Kishore
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