Celebrating Onam
June 24, 2008
Mainly celebrated in the south Indian state of Kerala by people of all religions, Onam marks the homecoming of legendary King Mahabali. Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, myth logically it is linked Malayalee – Hindu folktales. Part of the Malayalee psyche for centuries, the festival of Onam has two specific significances. Firstly, it is the communal memory and celebration of past history enunciated in the Mahabali legend i.e. a story of paradise was lost. Secondly, it is the celebration of the harvest, tied with the memory of a golden age of prosperity.
The people of Kerala celebrate Onam with great gusto, pomp and splendour. Every house in Kerala is cleaned and decorated; women and children sport traditional saris and dresses, dancing around brass lamps in exultation to welcome the legendary King Mahabali. Epitomising newfound vigour and enthusiasm for the season, the Indian festival of Onam is celebrated with visits to temples, family get-togethers, gifting of clothes and lots of merrymaking. There are food feasts of the best of Kerala cuisine and multi-coloured floral decorations on the ground in welcome of King Mahabali. The festive mood of the people, dressed in their best finery, is considered reminiscent of the prosperous and truthful life of the subjects during Mahabali’s flawless reign. People wear new clothes or vaastra also meaning heart, so the significance of wearing new clothes is about making the heart new by removing all bad thoughts and feelings.
An occasion for great revelry, a festival of prayer and rejoicing, entertainment during the festival of Onam includes a strikingly impressive procession of caparisoned elephants, gorgeously costumed Kathakali dancers that enact legends from the great epics and folk tales. Performers painted like tigers in bright yellow, red and black, dance to the beats of instruments like Udukku and thakil. Young men and women decked our in their best rock one another on swings that are an integral part of Onam, especially in rural areas. The huge and graceful snake boats are rowed with the help of 100-oarsman, and the boat race attracts many men and women come from far and near to watch the snake boats skim through the water. There is no sight as marvellous as to see the oarsmen dip their oars in the water, matching the rhythm of the drum beats and cymbals clashing on the shores.
Commemoration of a glorious past, the festival of Onam lasts for ten days as everyone does their best to welcome King Mahabali back again! Seen as a great tourist attraction, the Govt. of Kerala is doing its best to ensure that Kerala during the festival of Onam is on every tourist’s itinerary!
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