Onam 2023: History, significance, celebrations and all you need to know about Kerala's harvesting festival

Kerala's auspicious festival Onam started on August 20 and will conclude on August 31 this year. The 10-day-long Onam festivities, also known as Thiru-Onam or Thiruvonam, are celebrated with much pomp across the state as people mark the return of King Mahabali/Maveli. Every day of Onam viz. Atham, Chithira, Chodi, Vishakam, Anizham, Thriketta, Moolam, Pooradam, Uthradom and Thiruvonam has a lot of significance. To find out more about each day, click here. Meanwhile, Thiruvonam, the last day, is the most auspicious day as it marks the end of Onam celebrations, and families prepare and enjoy Onasadya, the opulent Onam festival. If you and your family are celebrating Onam this year, you must know about its history, meaning and celebrations.

Onam 2023 History and significance:

Onam falls in the month of Chingam, between the months of August and September, according to the Malayali calendar. It also marks the beginning of the Malayalam year called Kolla Varsham. The harvest festival marks the return of the kind and generous demon King Mahabali/Maveli to his beloved state of Kerala. According to legends, King Mahabali defeated the gods and ruled the three worlds. He was a generous and wise leader, but the gods were not sure of his popularity. They approached Lord Vishnu and asked him to help them. Therefore, Vishnu took the fifth avatar from him - the dwarf Brahmin Vamana.

Brahmin Vamana visited King Mahabali. The generous king asked him what he wanted and promised to grant him the same. Vamana asked for "three pieces of land." Then, he grew in size and covered the sky and the underworld in his first and second steps. When the fifth avatar of Lord Vishnu was about to take his third step, King Mahabali offered his own head to God. Pleased by his sacrifice, Lord Vishnu granted King Mahabali to rule his kingdom until the end of Kalyuga and the right to visit his kingdom and his people during Onam.

Onam 2023 Celebrations:

Every year the people of Kerala celebrate Onam to mark the homecoming of the beloved King Mahabali. The celebrations continue for ten days, with various rituals assigned to each day. During the festival, people get up early to take morning baths, deep clean their houses, decorate with flowers and lights, make Pookalam, prepare Onam Sadhya with seasonal vegetables, and paint intricate designs on the front doors with rice flour batter. Onam Sadhya or Onasadya is an important part of Onam celebrations, with more than 26 dishes prepared with the help of all members of the family and eaten with hands on a banana leaf.

Also, during Onam celebrations, people wear new clothes and gift traditional jewelry and garments to relatives and loved ones. While men choose to buy mundu, children prefer Pattu Pavada and women wear Kasavu sari. People also enjoy other cultural activities such as Onakalikal (various games played during the festival), Vallamkali (boat race), Pulikali (a painting with actors dressed as tigers and hunters), and archery during Onam.